A Whole Lot of Nothing
by ScarletStripe
Summary: A new dragon comes to the temple and some stuff happens with Clay. Contains slash, yaoi, and all that good stuff. ClayxOC. Rated T for adult themes.
1. Introductions

This is my first fic in a long while, but I hope my pen (fingers in this case) isn't rusty

This is my first fic in a long while, but I hope my pen isn't rusty. I've been reading a lot of fics recently so it's just gotten to the point where I can't stand not to write anymore. I haven't really worked out the entirety of my story yet, so please be gentle. Also please excuse my horrible name making. Well, here goes the usual:

_Don't own nuthin' and I don't make anythin'. 'Kay?_

5 A.M.

The only thing I want to see at 5 A.M. is the inside of my eyelids. And yet the rooster outside my window seems to have other ideas. Typical. I hopped out of my bed (if you could call a blanket on the floor a bed) and I headed for the showers. However, I got up to quickly and my head spins. Realizing my mistake, I'm all the more prepared to enjoy the face full of floor. Typical. At least it was a _clean _floor. A floor _I _cleaned… with my own toothbrush. I wonder what I could be doing now if I just decided to stay at home. I'd be asleep still, that's for sure. No use thinking about _what if_'s I suppose. I never saw _this _coming when I got here. On that slightly depressing note, I climbed into the shower and got lost in thought

Nearly a week earlier, I was standing in the temple entrance with all my crap. It was a pretty awesome sight. I could fit my room a hundred times over in its entrance alone. Well, what _used _to be my room. My parents had cut me off as soon as I was dumped here, the backstabbers. Anyways, I was standing behind the bald guy with the arched eyebrows who's apparently called Master Fung. He's pretty calm and I can appreciate that in a guy. He started talking and I tuned out most of it and looked around. After closer inspection I realized it wasn't much for looks horizontally, but the ceilings were, again, pretty awesome. Then I was snapped back to reality when I heard my name.

I twitched and turned just in time to see Master Fung step aside and reveal four more people, all dressed in matching robes. There was an adorable little yellow kid. He seemed nice, but struck me as a little sheltered from the unnerving smile he sent my way. It took me a good couple of seconds to shake off the awkward tension rising from the huge smile. He introduced himself after the awkward moment.

"What has risen, pup?" he chirped excitedly up at me. I just tilted my head in confusion. Luckily someone came to the rescue.

"I think you mean 'What's up, dog?', Omi.", chimed in the next person. "Yeah, that's Omi for you. I'm Raimundo by the way."

He was a Hispanic guy. I was thinking Brazilian by the looks of him, but I couldn't be sure. He was a centimeter or two taller than me, but you couldn't tell by looking. I think I'm slightly heavier and wider than him, but he looks like he's pretty chiseled and defined. His look was surfer-ish and he had a firm handshake. I could tell from his cocky stance that he'd be tough to deal with. On top of that, he had smug written all over his face. Despite all of that, I couldn't help but admit to myself that he was pretty cute.

Next up was a huge blond guy wearing a cowboy hat. He was a head taller than me, and as I looked up to meet his gaze he tipped his hat as I turned in his direction. I could only see one of his eyes because the other was covered by a lock of limp hair hanging down from under the brim of his hat. The one eye I did see was dazzlingly blue. He seemed like the type of guy that wouldn't go for anything with the same sex, but I couldn't deny how handsome he was.

"Howdy. I'm Clay", was his short introduction before offering a hand to shake. I accepted it and looked back up at him to receive a quick wink. I tried to fight down the blush forming in my cheeks and ears, but it was difficulty considering Clay was still holding my hand. I quickly withdrew it and moved on to the last member of the "gang".

My blush was suddenly a deep scarlet as a girl in pig-tails launched in to hug me. She ended the embrace and gave me a dazzling smile. "Douzo yoroshiku. Atashi no namae wa Kimiko desu." The others looked a little stunned at the burst of Japanese and I was equally surprised.

"Um… I don't speak Japanese" I mumbled, not wanting to embarrass her.

She looked a confused and said, "I could've sworn you were Japanese." This pushed my blush to the point where my glasses would've fogged up had I had any. Thankfully though, my face was so red it didn't seem like it would go any further. "Sumima- I mean, sorry. You just look so Japanese," she apologized. When I thought about it, I usually look like a generic Asian. Slightly dyed red and black hair, pink-ish tanned skin, and you could usually find me in a pair of hugging pants and small T-shirts. "I'm Kimiko by the way," she added, and I was brought back to reality once again.

My blush still hadn't died down, and I heard Raimundo whisper to Clay, "I think the new guy has a crush Kimiko, 'eh?" It obviously wasn't helping the situation, but any chances of shaking off the blush were far gone.

Kimiko, seeming not to hear squealed, "Aww! You're just too cute!" Normally I would've found any such comment demeaning, but any protests were lost when she locked me in an even tighter hug. Over her shoulder I could see Clay lower his hat, covering his eyes. However, he seemed tense and the muscles in his Jaw were bulging out. Right then a thought struck me. Maybe Clay likes Kimiko. Under normal circumstances, I would back off and stay out of Clay's way, but I really had no choice in the matter as Kimiko continued her cuddling and squealing.

Master Fung seemed pleased and he raised one edge of his mouth in a half smile before asking, "Would one of you kindly show Matt to his room?" Kimiko, who hadn't let go was obviously the first to answer and consequently the one to drag me down the halls to my quarters. I bumped into Clay on our way out and I quickly apologized only to get a curt grunt in return.

Once we reached the room I realized it was more like a stall than a room. I guess it's a monk thing. After Kimiko left, I unceremoniously dumped my crap in a corner and fell asleep. That day marked the first of many more to come.

During the week I had gotten to get to know the dragons better. Kimiko became my best friend even after the awkward introduction. Omi was a close second, often with Kimiko and me during training and chores. I'd gotten used to his horrible slang, but I gave up on trying to correct him.

Rai would sneak in and out of the group. Strangely, he was absent during most of the chores, but would show up almost unerringly during mealtimes. He kept me on my toes with his insatiable need for pranks.

Clay on the other hand seldom approached us. I felt bad because I knew that his evasion had something to do with me, but I still got to know Clay a bit as well. It seemed as though whenever he saw Kimiko and me together, he tensed up and left the room. It just seemed odd because he seemed fine when we were alone or with only Omi and Rai. He did strike me as a little shy, but in the few days I'd spent there, he'd opened up to me a little. I hope things don't stay awkward between us.

Chapter 1- Terminated

Hope you enjoyed D, but flame if you must. I know my writing style is very... how you say "crappy"


	2. The Shower Incident

Chapter 2 is here!! Not that anyone was really expecting it, seeing as I still have no reviews… dry sobs So…yahhhh, those of you who liked Chapter 1 sorry if the changes in the writing style throws you off a bit.

_Don't own nuthin', don't make anything. Got it?_

Clay's POV:

5A.M. I bet Matt's still complaining about it. I laugh at the thought of him walking around like a zombie in a cheesy zombie movie. That new guy sure is… interesting. I bet he's from the city just like Kim and Rai. I could feel it on his hands; he hasn't worked a hard day in his life. That's going to change if he stays around here much longer. Master Fung'll whip him into shape. He had him clean dang near the whole temple with his own toothbrush. I just shudder at the thought of century-old dust stuck in my teeth. You don't have to know a guy that long to feel bad for him about _that._ Now that I think about it, he's been here nearly a week.

Come to think of it, when I first met him I knew I would like him. He seemed pretty shy, and cute as a button on top of that. He was about as tall as Raimundo but a little thicker. Not in a fat way, just a little sturdier. Besides, who am I to call someone fat? His hair was a dark red, just like the dirt back home. His cheeks were a little chubby and he had big, brown, puppy-dog eyes that probably snagged him a girl or two. Or maybe a guy… Nah, better not get any ideas with this one.

I wanted to play around with him during the introduction so I gave him a little wink, and he turned redder than a tomato. That blush was cuter than one of old Bessie's calves and I swear I would've scooped him up if Master Fung and Rai weren't there. No telling when that chance'll come again if it does. Sadly, the moment slipped away as Kimiko pounced on him.

That's when Rai leaned over and whispered, "I think the new guy has a crush on Kimiko, 'eh?" Darn it. Typical. Just typical. It's like only _I _can never get a guy.

It's a shame Kimiko got to him first, but I guess that's how it goes. Kim's wrapped 'round him tighter than a boa constrictor on a glue-covered rat. There ain't separating those two. Frankly, I get tired of her waving him around in my face all the time. Give me a break. It's gone so far that I'd rather steer clear of them all together than go through one of Kim's lovey-dovey flirting sessions. The worst part about it is that when I get a moment alone with Matt, I can't help liking the kid. He seems pretty down to earth and he's really easy to talk to. When we were alone for the first time I felt a little silly talking to him.

"So uh… how d'you like the temple?" I managed with a little difficulty. Boy, I was more nervous than a cat in a dog-pound. Easy Clay, he hasn't said anything yet.

"I love it," he answered, beaming, "my favorite part's the garden though." I saw him gaze dreamily over to one of the temple windows overlooking the gardens. I couldn't help but smile seeing him like that. I wonder if he knew how cute he was. He looked up at me and his grin widened. "What?" he asked with an attempt at a serious face.

Failing miserably, he only made me grin wider. "Nothing," I answered, with the grin still playing on m y lips. "S'just that I thought I was the only one here who actually appreciated the gardens- except for the monks of course." I was rewarded a kind smile for that remark. I felt a blush coming on and I lowered my hat a bit. I turned slightly and grunted, "Sure isn't like back home in Texas."

"Yep" was his reply. "I was born in San Antonio. I guess that makes me a city boy, but still a Texan." I was shocked. Admittedly never would've guessed him to be a Texan. He had no accent and hardly looked the part. Well like he said, he's a city boy. I chuckled at the thought of Matt dressed like a cowboy. When I looked over at him again, he was pouting with his lip jutting out slightly. "Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and laugh at the city boy," he groaned sarcastically before flashing me a toothless smile.

He really is something. Ah well. No use lingering on it anymore. I should get a move on and shower before anyone else is up.

I got up slowly and I stretched a bit before leaving for the showers. I didn't think I needed anything more than boxers and an undershirt to stay decent. Nobody would even be up now I figured.

Unfortunately, I was wrong. Right when I reached the door, I bumped into something soft and damp. It was Matt in nothing but a towel. His clothes were scattered and his pants were lying on his head a little awkwardly.

After the moment of initial shock I spluttered, "Sorry there, little buddy. I didn't see you." Another moment passed and he made no effort to get up, so I offered him a hand. After he took it, he heaved awkwardly while still clutching to the towel and made it up with my support.

Once he was steady, I offered, "Lemme help you with those", while bending over to pick up what I thought was his shirt. Instead, I got a handful of his boxers. Blushing a bit, I forked them over and rubbed my neck in an attempt to fight of the rouge settling there.

When I looked back at Matt, he was fiddling with his clothes and towel with yet another blush, but this time it went all the way down to his chest. My eyes acted before my brain did and traveled a little lower than was proper.

Without a word, he spun around and picked up his shirt. While he was bent over, I saw his towel drop slightly, showing a paler region of his lower back. My blush deepened in sympathetic embarrassment and my pants grew uncomfortably tight. He quickly spun around and made an awkward whimpering sound.

With that, I decided to make my exit and managed a "'Scuse me" before hurrying away. "Jesus, that was awkward," was the only thought I had while I hurried away from the scene.

Aww, such embarrassment, it does the heart good . Hope you enjoyed and review so I know you're out there; flame if you must.


	3. Training

Ouchies, still no reviews (. But I guess that's to be expected since I haven't had the fic up for more than a day or two. Ah well. I guess it doesn't matter if you review or not as long as my writer's lust is sated. Please, enjoy:

_Again, I own nothing and make nothing._

Matt's POV:

I came out of the shower covered only by a towel. Unfortunately I had only one hand to hold it up with, so It sagged on one side to the point where I was nearly indecent. I hurried to my stall but I met the considerable bulk of Clay coming in the opposite direction. Obviously, being the smaller person, I was the one who was toppled over and left under the clothes I was previously carrying. I fell with an "oof" and I made no effort of getting up because I didn't want to risk losing my towel.

"Sorry there, little buddy. I didn't see you," Clay said, his southern drawl somewhat strained with shock. I looked up and he was wearing only an undershirt and boxers. Without his hat he seemed a little… incomplete. He fidgeted a bit and blanked out for a second before snapping out of it and offering a hand to help me up. I had some difficulty getting up while trying to keep myself decent but I successfully made it up towel and all with Clay's help.

"Lemme help you with those," Clay grunted as he bent over to pick up what he then realized were my boxers. My blush traveled down my neck into my chest as he cleared his throat and shyly placed them in my free hand. He too blushed, but hid it slightly by rubbing his neck awkwardly looking down slightly. For a second I had a thought about how cute he looked blushing but I quickly banished it when I realized how embarrassed he must be. I couldn't help but notice Clay following the path of my blush and maybe even a little lower while I juggled with the rest of my clothes and the hanging towel.

I turned around to pick up my shirt and as I bent down, I felt cool air hit the top of my cheeks, and, unfortunately, they were _not_ the cheeks on my face. I quickly spun around and tried to force out a nervous laugh but instead came a sound that was between a whine and a whimper. "'Scuse me," he breathed a little awkwardly before walking away somewhat uncomfortably. He looked as if his jeans were a size or two too small. I was sickened with embarrassment and somewhat hurt from his sudden departure, but what could I expect? The only thought I allowed myself was, "What's done is done"

I gave no more thought to it before I scurried behind my curtain and changed. I'd gotten my own set of robes now and I had to say, apart from being a little dorky, they were very comfortable. They breathe enough for even the extremely hot weather. Though thankfully, it was pretty mild at the temple. With a soft sigh, I walked out of the room to finally start this very eventful morning.

By this time, I'd been at the temple for not even a week, so I hadn't begun training yet. Naturally, fighting the "dragons" sounded so intimidating that I was almost regretting coming. I'd taken a couple of years of martial arts classes, but I'm sure I couldn't hold a candle to any of the elements. It seemed totally unfair, but I suppose that's how life goes. Well, we'll see when the time comes for me to start training. Little did I know that it would be very soon.

The next day, I was scrubbing the floors (oh boy) when I was summoned by Master Fung. Well, that is if you can call the four dragons (mainly Kimiko) dragging me bodily away from my task to the training ground. I'm not sure if I'd rather embarrass myself here or go back to floor duty.

The garden opened up into a training ground where multiple obstacle courses were set around a ring-like patch of dirt. From the temple, you could only see the training ground from the highest windows because all others were covered by the tall tress and bamboo in the garden. When I stepped into the ring, I was surprised to find that the dirt was well packed down, almost like stone. I figured that it was compressed from centuries of previous dragon training.

Unlike the others, I was fidgeting with discomfort and nervousness. Clay put a reassuring hand on my shoulder and I just looked up and gave him a smile. He sent one back before Master Fung appeared from the garden. Clay slipped his hand off of me and the dread hit me even harder as I realized what was happening.

Apparently, I was to start my training to today. Master Fung inclined his head as we approached and said, "Ah, good morning, young dragons. I'm sure you had a good sleep?" Then he turned to address me directly. "Matthew, you will begin your dragon training today. I'm sure you will do well."

He inclined his head again and left me wondering, "Wait, _am _I a dragon or not?" I didn't get much time to think about it because I heard Master Fung call my name and motion for me to step forward. I stole a nervous glance at Kimiko before I stepped further into the center of the ring to meet Master Fung.

"Matthew, today we'll test your proficiency by having a sparring match between you and one of the others." His words made my stomach do a mini-Titanic. I turned to assess my possible opponents and it seemed as though all prospects were grim.

Omi was very small individual, but he sure did pack a punch from what I've seen. On top of that, he was by far the quickest fighter I've ever seen. Even if I had the size advantage I doubt that I would be able to land a blow on him.

Raimundo was also a formidable opponent. He was slightly taller, so that took away my size advantage and I could tell from the looks of him that he was also a very agile fighter. I would hate to get hit by one of his vicious kicks.

Kimiko would be a huge problem, seeing as it was against my moral code to hit girls, and with me standing there like an idiot, she'd surely be able to do some real damage. Not to say she couldn't even if I _was _fighting back.

Clay... Clay ranked on a whole different alert level. If I went up against Clay, chances were, I'd probably end up with something or some things broken. Now that I think about it, I'll be fine so long as I don't get Clay. I was pretty confident of my chances. Three to four of not getting annihilated was pretty good in my book.

"Matthew?" It was only then that I realized that I had been ignoring Master Fung.

"Oh, sorry, Master." I bowed to him and he raised an eyebrow curiously.

"As I was saying," he continued with a glance at me. "Would anyone like to volunteer to be Matt's sparring partner?"

The only thought I could muster was, "Please, not Clay. Not Clay." I saw Kimiko move and it looked as though she was stepping forward, but Raimundo grabbed her and Omi, pulling them back. That only left... Clay. Of course.

"Ah, Clay. Very good" Master Fung said a little dreamily. Raimundo was dying of silent laughter and had I not known any better, I would've thought he was having a seizure. Clay, who hadn't really been focusing snapped to attention at the mention of his name, and walked forward.

When he reached the center of the ring, he gave me a friendly, "Howdy, partner" and a slap on the back before proceeding to Master Fung's other side.

"Alright, young ones. I want this match clean. Do I make myself clear?" Master Fung made a point of raising his eyebrow in my direction and I could hear Omi chuckling in the background. "The first one to submit, be pinned to the ground, or be otherwise incapacitated, loses." With that, he calmly stepped out of the ring towards the three remaining dragons. Under normal circumstances, Clay pinning me wouldn't be such a horrible situation, but the oncoming fight filled my chest with a mixture of dread and pressure as my heart drummed in my chest.

Clay and I just stood there for a moment, and I slowly put up a fighting stance. After it became apparent that he wasn't going to initiate the battle, I charged him and rolled to his side to literally kick his butt. However, he was too quick and was already facing me ready after blocking the blow. I continued the roll, and launched myself at his torso as soon as my feet met the ground. I speared my shoulder into his gut, but right after scoring my hit, I was tossed over his shoulder onto my back.

I quickly rolled out of the way of a stomp and did a head-spring just in time to get knocked down by a powerful roundhouse. I rolled out of the fall and came back around to meet Clay's fighting stance. I was still a little sore from the last blow, so I waited for Clay to start this time.

Clay came at me with a one-two combo but I ducked and weaved out of the way before scoring a couple of body shots. He dipped forward to defend his torso and I wrapped my arms around his neck to deliver a few knees to his chest. His hands came between my knees (not that way you sick-os) and his chest then he wrapped his leg around mine, tripping me backwards.

On the ground, I put him in a guard and kicked him in the gut, giving me the opportunity to roll back up and out of his reach. Before he could regroup, I sprinted to his other side and had a flying kick aimed at him as soon as he got up. He sidestepped, quickly, leaving me to make a crater in the spot where he had just been. I wasn't prepared for the backhand that came at my head. Ouch. Now I steeled myself to step up my game.

We were both panting by the time we recovered from that last confrontation. While Clay recovered, I repositioned my stance. My stance widened and I tilted my torso to face Clay. We'd see how he held up against my dragons style. I slowly exhaled with a slight hiss as I raised and lowered my arms. As they lowered, I lowered with them, making a crouching stance while I displayed my palms with my fingers tightened like a dragon's claws.

He looked a little shocked at the sudden change, but I could tell he still wasn't about to submit. He too shifted his stance, moving one hand to waist-level and pointing the palm of the other in my direction. His legs spread wide apart, perpendicular to the training ground floor.

The tension skyrocketed as neither of us was willing to move from our new stances. Finally, I zig-zagged in Clay's direction. Seeing him prepare punch, I continued before narrowly twisting out of the way. I set my feet and blocked a barrage of quick jabs aimed at my face. When Clay sent a low kick to my shins, I hopped back, and planted again. The force of his kick spun him around slightly, and as he recovered, I threw my entire body into a punch. My fist hit square on his jaw. The force of his turn was only added to the damage of my blow and he was lifted off his feet slightly. I went back to my stance as he lay there.

I saw a fire light in his eyes as he finally recovered, and there were only two thoughts that I had at that moment: "Oh shit, why didn't I just pin him?" and "I think I have a good chance of dying now."

When Clay next stood, he was through playing around. Before I could even attempt a defense, Clay lifted his foot and yelled, "Seismic Kick!" Crap. That was the end of that. I felt the earth rumble and give underneath me and next thing I knew, a huge chunk of rock and dirt came flying at me. I struck the chunk of earth and successfully broke apart most of it, but a massive boulder came flying out of the rubble and simply took me along for the ride. The wind was knocked out of me on the initial impact and when I hit the ground I was crushed under its weight momentarily before it bounced off my chest with a hollow thump. Slowly, colors began to swirl together and I could taste and smell blood. The last thing I heard was approaching footsteps before blacking out.

AHOMG that was effed up, lol. Well, I hope (and will probably make) everything work out. Please review ( My feelings are hurt guys. lol, not really, but I would really appreciate it if you did.) Seeya later.


	4. Clean Up

Okay, I started this right after I posted the last one. Seriously, within two minutes of posting... BAM. This one was started.

_**Don't own or make anything**_

After that last punch, I was angrier than a bull in a circus. It wasn't so much that I couldn't take getting hit, it was just that I was getting beaten by the new guy (no offense intended to Matt). I knew I couldn't stand up to that fighting style for very long either. I concentrated all of my power into the final move, and I sent a huge chunk of earth catapulting in Matt's direction.

The only thing I could bring myself to think was, "Oh shit!" I knew I overdid it and the attack was approaching so fast that I couldn't do anything about it at this point. Even if I could've, I was too exhausted to clear that distance in a minute or two let alone a few seconds. My blood went cold when I heard a smash, but it was only the chunk breaking up. In the clearing debris, I saw a boulder fly straight into Matt and launch him a couple of feet then bouncing off of him like a cowboy on a rodeo bull. Forgetting my exhaustion, I sprinted to his side and the first thing I saw was the blood running down his jaw. He had a couple of small cuts and one big gash on the side of his forehead near the temple. My knees hit the ground and the others crowded around him like a dead squirrel. They were buzzing like angry bees over him, but he wasn't moving. I prepared to do some amateur "CPR", but Matt chose that moment to come spluttering back to life.

"Ay! Clay, you broke him, dude!" Rai screamed, obviously not helping the situation. Kimiko came around to his other side and stroked his hand while he attempted to sit up.

"That was most impressive, my friend," Omi said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He stepped back when I put my arm under his neck.

"Shh shh. Easy now," I cooed, helping him into a sitting position, and as ironic as it may seem I told him, "You wouldn't want to hurt yourself now." I decided to ignore Rai's snort with Matt in this condition.

A shadow appeared over my head, and I looked up to see Master Fung looking down at us. "That was a very good match, Matthew. I too am impressed with your abilities. I hope that when you recover we can continue your training", before his final statement he raised an eyebrow at me, "without some of the unnecessary injury." I felt a pang of guilt at that last part. Boy Clay, you really over-did it this time.

"Clay? Would you be so kind as to carry Matthew to his quarters? He should be fine aside from some bruising and soreness for the next week or so." With that, Master Fung turned around and returned to the temple in his usual mysterious way.

While I was watching Master Fung leave, I felt a hand clutch the neck of my robe. My head snapped back and I saw Matt motioning me to come closer. His warm breath on my ear sent shivers down my spine. He whispered, "That... was cheap." before collapsing into my chest with a small smile. I couldn't help but laugh at his humor, especially considering his situation.

"Clay, I'll kill you if you pull something like that again on him", Kimiko hissed, glaring. It brought me back to the realization, they must be going out or something. Wow, that was just the cherry on top of an exceptionally bad day. I felt lower than a rattlesnake's belly button. Without responding, I picked Matt up and carried him over to the temple, leaving the others to chatter behind me.

He was pretty heavy considering his size. I guess it was all the muscle packed into the small frame. As I walked through the garden alone with Matt in my arms, I couldn't help but imagine this situation again with Matt still conscious. What I wouldn't give for that... but I guess it wouldn't amount to anything if it really did happen. Kim's got her claws in him already. Deep. Again, my imagination formed a picture, but this time it was of Kimiko as a lion with pig-tails pouncing on a very cute, Asian gazelle which I assumed was Matt. I chuckled at the image and I heard a soft groan from around my elbow.

Oops, I guess my laughing woke him up. Matt's eyes opened groggily and I stopped at a garden bench. "You okay?" I asked, sitting him up on the bench. Jesus, that was a stupid question. He was sitting there on a garden bench with ripped, bloodied robes with an equally bloody face.

"Just peachy", was his reply, wincing a bit when stretched the broken skin on his left cheek. When I looked at it, it was a very shallow cut, so it wouldn't leave that big of a scar. Pulling himself up, he attempted to walk towards the temple. It wasn't long before he nearly collapsed, but I caught him and scooped him up into the cradling position once again.

"Easy now," I murmured, using the same voice I used when he first woke up. "I think I'll be doing the walkin' for now. Just 'till you can get around yourself." I could tell he would've objected to the involuntary ride if it was within his power. "Aww, c'mon Matt. It's just 'till I get you to the temple." He just rolled his eyes and turned away from me. Apparently, it wasn't far enough because I saw a small smile creep onto his lips and a blush spread to his neck and ear. I guess today's not such a bad day after all.

When we got back to his room, I brought in a towel and a bowl of warm water. Although he objected to it at first, I sponged off most of the dried blood from his face and neck. After that, I handed him the towel while I went to fetch a couple of bandages and antiseptics. I found some in an ancient first-aid kit and I ran back to the room. As I parted the curtain to Matt's room (more of a stall really), he'd cast off his robe top and was wiping the blood off from his back and shoulder blades. My heart sped up at the sight of his bare torso. My groin stirred his exposure and I debated on whether or not to just leave the bandages or continue forward. When I recalled the shower incident, I guess it didn't really matter as much as before so I shrugged to myself and continued in.

"I got them bandages, Matt." I called while I stepped towards him. He turned around and I could see that his smaller cuts were barely visible. My greetings were returned with a wan smile. I broke out the bandages and alcohol and began to prepare to clean Matt up. I dabbed the alcohol with the towel and raised it up to Matt's temple. "This may hurt", I mumbled. When I pressed it on his cut, I heard a yelp and Matt squirmed under the rag. It was almost more than I could take to see him in such discomfort, but the pain soon subsided and he regained his composure. I pressed a bandage across the cut and it was almost impossible to tell how bad the gash had been moments earlier. Once I was satisfied with my work, I grinned and looked Matt in the eyes. He returned my smile with a flash of his dazzling pearly-whites.

The urge to pull him into a long tight hug nearly overtook me, but then I thought, "Kim'll give him one later." The thought saddened me to the point where I could even imagine my hat drooping. I could've sworn that it was for a moment but I realized it was just tipping forward.

"What's wrong?", Matt asked me. He was bending so that he could look up from under the brim of my hat with those puppy dog eyes of his. I raised my hat so that he could look at me comfortably. "If it's about the sparring, then don't beat yourself up about it. It wasn't your fault I was too slow or too stupid to dodge the attack", he sighed forlornly.

"How could you even think that?" I asked a little too passionately. "You were awesome! I could barely even keep up with you." He cheered up at that part. "Honestly, I think that was the only way I could've won." I admitted, giving him a playful punch. My knuckles grazed against his cheek and he pushed it off. After he returned mine, I noticed his bandage was slightly wrinkled. I reached up to smooth it out and Matt's eyes followed my hands.

My tongue parted my lips slightly in concentration, and he made small giggle before averting his eyes. He sure did have a cute laugh. "What?" I asked with a smile. "D'you find something funny?" The playful questioning renewed his laughter. His laugh was loud and sincere and it was the kind of sound that did the heart good.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all", came his answer between giggles. When he settled down, I let my eyes travel down to his and found them staring at me dreamily. My hands stopped working and slid slowly down his cheeks onto his shoulders. I would've been squirming now if I could move at all. His eyes seemed glazed over and I could practically see my reflection in them. It was then that I decided to throw away my inhibitions and follow my heart to see where it led me. It couldn't hurt to like him. Or could it?

He slowly leaned into my touch and between my arms. From his shoulders, I could feel his arms come up and I began leaning further in too. The distance continued to wane and when they came within inches of one another, I closed my eyes. I shivered in anticipation. It was like waiting for the stroke of midnight on December 31st. A second later, I felt his body press into mine, but only momentarily before becoming a trite embrace; much like one I would get from Omi or Kimiko.

"Thank you, Clay", was all I got before he slipped his arms from my shoulders and moved away. I swear I could've burst into tears right then and there, but it wasn't long before Matt turned at me with a questioning look. He was already fully clothed and I hurried up and out of his room after grumbling a quick, "You're welcome."

Aww, so sad for Clayyy. Oh well. Well, review if you'd like. I'm going to continue regardless if I feel like it and if I can find the time.

Peace...


	5. Confessions

**SORRY SORRY SORRY. I feel bad about writing this now, but I'll get over it I suppose. Please read and review if you want. _I don't own or make anything from this fanfic. _**

A couple of days passed and the shower incident was forgotten, or at least not brought up again. Clay had been avoiding me recently and Kimiko had an even tighter hold on me if that was even imaginable. Something told me that someday, something would have to give.

Ever since the sparring session I couldn't bring myself to talk to Clay. That was apart from the fact that he didn't seem to want to talk to me. When he was patching me up, I couldn't help but stare deep into those sea blue eyes. As his eyes met mine I felt myself melting into his arms, but it didn't last. Clay broke eye contact and he leaned in as well. I could see he was putting his total trust in me, and I wasn't going to be the one to abuse it. Besides, I could only imagine what he would do if I attempted anything, even after the intense sparring session. My thoughts returned to the my first day here and I remembered the look he had on when Kimiko hugged me. He obviously wasn't interested and I should just get over it. Disappointedly, I pulled him into a very light hug and whispered my thanks. I reluctantly slid out of it before pulling on my robes. By the time I turned around I expected him to be gone, but he was still sitting there with a mixture of confusion and wistfulness. I sent him a questioning glance and he sprung towards the curtain. In the rustling I could've sworn that I heard, "You're welcome."

My eyes welled up and I rubbed away the tears. I just can't let this ruin my stay at the temple; no matter how much Clay got my hopes up. Today, the sun was shining, and the light reflected of the dewdrops on the shortly cropped grass, sending a dazzling reflection through the window of our joint bedrooms. I couldn't hear any snoring so I assumed everyone had already gotten up. Slipping on my robe, I prepared to face the day.

After that little hitch with the sparring session, I was given a week off from chore duty, much to the others' surprise. Apparently, they'd never been given that much lenience. It wasn't surprising that Raimundo was jealous, but Omi seemed to take my break as an indication of inability, much to the enjoyment of the others. On many occasions, he had tried to help me through walking on the temple grounds, feeding me, and even dressing myself to a point. However, I drew the line when he tried following me into the bathroom.

I grabbed breakfast and waited out most of the day on the sill of one of the temple windows. For a great chunk of that time, I was curled up with a book, but others I just watched the temple activities.

Like most of the days at the temple, it seemed like a good day to take a walk, so my path snaked its way to the temple gardens. Despite my earlier injuries, I found a walk in the park to be very refreshing. When I thought back to lying in Clay's arms, I blushed insanely. If only I could've made something of that moment earlier.

Upon entering the garden Kimiko waved me down and I went to sit next to her on a bench. "Listen, Matt," she started with a serious look on her face. I knew she meant business. "I hope you won't get offended for me asking, but are you gay?" The question took me by surprise, and I was sort of shocked at how fast she picked up on it.

I debated whether or not to tell the truth, and it seemed pointless to deny it. After a heavy sigh, I answered, "Yes, I am. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." I looked down in what I hoped was a shameful look. I was just hoping I could get out of this without a handprint on my face. Kimiko just grabbed my shoulders and gave me yet another of her back-breaking hugs. "What was that for?" I asked, hopefully I wasn't pushing my luck.

"I dunno. I just felt like it," she retorted in her Kimiko-ish way. "I knew it! I knew it from the first day! My gaydar went off as soon as Master Fung introduced us," she screamed a little bit too loud. I nervously looked around and she sensed my anxiety so she quickly apologized and went on a little softer. "You like Clay, don't you?" she hissed slyly. My notorious blush returned as I lightly shrugged. "C'mon, you know you do," she pushed, reaping some sort of sadistic pleasure from watching me squirm.

"Alright already! I do, happy?" I blurted. She seemed most satisfied and my face turned beet-red. "But I don't think he likes me. He acts so oddly around me. Sometimes he's completely fine, and other times he refuses to speak to me." Her only response was to motion me closer with her index finger, very much like an old cartoon character.

When I was within kissing distance, she whispered in my ear, "He thinks you like me. That's why he's always so uptight when we're together. It's only natural for him to be turned off by me wrapped around you all the time." After her little explanation, Kim sat back and crossed her arms looking very proud of herself. A giggle nearly escaped me before I could respond, but I successfully fought down the urge to laugh.

"You really think so? I just figured he liked _you_ and just acted shy around _you_" I pointed out a little sarcastically. I dared not get my hopes up so I remained somewhat skeptical of the notion.

While I was pondering on that idea, I heard footsteps approaching from the temple. When I turned around, I realized that it was Clay. He'd seemingly recovered from earlier and decided to take a walk in the garden. When he approached us, I waved over to him, and Kimiko called him.

I thought I saw him glance in our direction, but his eyes darted away at the last minute. Kim leaning into my ear on a stone bench was a pretty hard sight to miss. However, he seemily didn't hear us because he just kept on walking. I turned to Kimiko with an _I-told-you-so_ look.

Her only response was to slap the back of my head and yell, "What're you stupid? Go follow him!" I got up to leave and no sooner was I three paces away than when I heard her pull out her phone and start, "You wouldn't _believe _my friend Matt…" I suppose I didn't want to hear anymore of that conversation and I didn't.

Before long, I caught up to Clay and from behind he seemed to be fuming. His shoulders were slightly hunched and his hands were balled into tight fists. I could almost imagine steam coming out of those ears. Surprisingly, he didn't hear me behind him and I caught a grumble containing the words "Stupid" and "Matt" in them. For his sake, I was hoping "not" was somewhere in between them.

I jogged up to close the space between us. When I was close enough to touch him, I grabbed his shoulder and said, "Hey, Clay!" a little too loud.

Clay turned around and I caught a blink of frustration across his face, but it disappeared as soon as his eyes met mine only to be replaced by a sort of confused look. "Oh. Hi." he growled a little coolly before turning and continuing. I was a little put off by his rudeness and I seriously considered just leaving. Thankfully, I decided against it and again jogged to match his long stride.

"What's wrong, Clay?" I chirped in my attempt of an innocent voice. He seemed surprised that I was still here, but he didn't stop. I continued to jog alongside him, waiting for an answer. He coldly ignored me, but occasionally, he'd steal a glance in my direction like a dog would if he was stared down by his master. The thought of Clay as a dog nearly made me laugh, but I suppressed it figuring it wouldn't help the situation. "Is this about what happened earlier? I'm _really _sorry. I know how embarrassed you must be. Not to mention sickened, disgusted, nauseated," I trailed off with still no answer from Clay. After giving it another few seconds I asked tentatively for the third time, "Clay?"

"What do you_ want _from me?" he barked icily. Finally, he stopped, and he stood there with a very Raimundo-like stance. His bangs shook a little with the force of his words "Why don't you go find Kimiko. I'm sure she's _dying _without her Matt." The last sentence was dripping with sarcasm.

My only response was to cross my arms and give him a stern look. He didn't respond but I could tell that I was wearing him down. "Clay, do you honestly think she likes me? As if she'd go for me. I'm sure a video game empire heiress could get any Asian guy." I pointed out. "Or was it that you were _dying _from seeing me with her?" That last bit was layered with the very same sarcasm he threw at me.

His lips drew into a thin line and his jaw tightened before he turned around and began his aggressive walking again. I followed yet again, but this time I used a more aggressive approach. After following for a few paces, I grabbed his forearm and spun him around.

"Calm down, Clay," I yelled up at him. "You don't have to worry about me, Kimiko's all yours." My brow furrowed a little while I waited for an answer. Surprisingly, Clay's fuming stopped, and the anger on his face was replaced with another confused look.

"You mean to tell me that you think that I…", he began, looking at me a little questioningly. I nodded in the affirmative and he continued, "And Kimiko doesn't…?" Again, I gave him a nod. His head dipped in thought.

After a couple of seconds, his blank face crinkled with laughter. "I can't believe you could even _think _that!", he guffawed. "That's sillier than a three legged cow in a horse race!", he cackled, wiping a tear from his visible blue eye before doubling over with laughter. I even let a chuckle or two out before he calmed down. The last remnants of his laughter left in loud sighs and when he was finally composed he turned to me and said, "You do realize that we've been fighting about a whole lot of nothing, right?"

"What do you mean, 'we'?" I joked before punching him playfully. His laughter restarted. "_I _didn't do anything! _I_ was trying to be nice! _You _were the one who flipped out! _You _were the one who got all dramatic!" I punctuated each sentence with a quick jab until he was forced onto one of the garden benches and threw his hands up in defeat. If only our sparring match had gone like that…

"I'm sorry!" he pleaded laughing. Again, I waited for his laughter to subside. When he had composed himself for the second time, he leaned back on the bench and scooted over to make room for me. I plopped down next to him, slightly exhausted from all the fuss we were making only minutes earlier.

"Matt", he started after a good five minutes of silence. "I'm...I'm...", he choked a bit, and it seemed like he was going to give up until he took a big sigh and started again. "I'm sorry" he mumbled. I knew it must've been a big deal since he usually had no problem apologizing. What could be so bad to make him feel like this?

"For what?" I asked using a low voice. I didn't want to ruin the moment. If I didn't let him talk now I'd probably never know what happened.

"It's just..." Again, Clay choked, and I only gestured for him to continue. He was obviously uncomfortable; I could see him squirming and fidgeting while he tried to articulate his words. His jaw muscles would often tighten and he'd rolled and unrolled his sleeves many times in the last two minutes. I listened intently because I was pretty sure anything said wouldn't be repeated. "I mean, you've noticed it recently, right?" I combed my brain and I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. It was just as it had been most of my stay at the temple.

"I don't understand" I sighed. I hoped that my confusion wouldn't stop him from continuing. Instead he explained.

"Well, you notice how I've been avoiding you and stuff, right?" I nodded. "And how I was acting just a few minutes ago." Another nod "You see, it's like..." I gave him a moment to compose his thoughts, and that moment seemed to stretch on for an eternity. "It's like... I... uh..." He was really trying my patience now. I wish he'd just get over with it so we could move on. "You do understand I don't like Kimiko, right?"

"Yeah", I said somewhat impatiently. "I got that when you started dying of laughter at the very suggestion of it." He started blushing with shame.

"You see, I like... someone else", he stuttered. My heart started drumming and I could feel my hands start to tremble. His blush deepened to a crimson against his pale white skin. The contrast was startling if you examined it close enough, but my mind was elsewhere.

"Wait, but Kimiko's the only..." I paused when the realization hit me. "Oh..." I said in almost a whisper. If my heart was a snare before, it was a timpani now. This confession, this setting; this entire situation didn't seem possible.

"...Yeah..." was the only thing I got out of him after my "oh". Even though I dearly wished for something (I think you know what) I didn't want to get my hopes up in the case that I wasn't the one. I'm so close, but I can mess everything up here and now if I say the wrong thing.

"Raimundo?" he shook his head. "...Omi?" again, a negative. "...EWW! Please don't say Master Fung!" even in this extremely tense situation that got the better of us and we broke out into laughter. He was leaning against me a bit, and I grew self-conscious of his touch. My hand brushed up against his forearms (he'd decided to keep his sleeves rolled up) and I noticed that his skin was very soft. It was an odd thought, but I had to consciously pull myself away from the sensation of us touching to let him continue.

"No, no. None of those." he wheezed, still chuckling at my last comment. I saw him glance over at my hand for a moment when he felt me pull away from the contact. "But I think there's a pretty good chance you'll get it this time." He'd totally lost any inhibitions he had before and decided to roll with it. I was sort of scared about how I should react or what he expected.

"You don't mean..." I whispered. A slow, unsteady nod came from Clay. I couldn't even bring my eyes to meet his. I looked at the floor for a while in deep thought. Why wasn't I happier? I was just in shock of how the tables had turned in my favor. I scooted over slightly until I could think comfortably without him right on top of me (not that that would be a totally horrible thing). The small space between us was like a void that needed to be filled, but I couldn't allow myself to act without thinking things through. What do I need to make me believe him? After a while, my answer came. Nothing. He had my total trust, and that means I could totally trust his word; or at least trust that that was how he felt at the moment.

"Clay, are you sure?", I asked shakily. When I glanced up he was looking straight into my eyes.

"I'm surer than the grass is green", he answered, using one of his many metaphors. I was speechless at his confession and the moments seemed to drag on to the point where I nearly forgot why I was so shocked. Each time it slipped away it would hit me again and the shock would renew itself. After I realized he wasn't looking away I turned my eyes to the ground, but I couldn't help but steal a few glances at Clay now and then. He was staring off into the the garden after I broke eye contact, deep in thought. His blue eyes were glazed over and twinkling in the afternoon sun. When a breeze blew, his blond bangs parted a bit, revealing his light forehead that shined pink in the waning light.

"Matt", he whispered when he noticed me looking. He still didn't turn from the sunset, and all I could to was raise my head and wait for an answer. "I'm sorry... so sorry" he said before getting up to leave. I could see a hint of a tear in his eyes and I couldn't let him go now.

"Wait!" I called, grabbing his wrist. He froze at the contact, but I spun him around and pulled him into a long, deep hug. In his frozen state, I grabbed his torso, but his arms were still hanging mid-air as if he was debating whether or not to hug me back, but after a few seconds, he wrapped his arms around me in a very strong embrace. My ear was pressed against his chest so I could hear his heart beat through the soft fabric of his robes. The top of my head, which had been somewhere above his shoulders was now resting in the crook of his neck and he rested his chin on it.

In the warm hollow between his collar bone and shoulder, I shed joyful tears that stained the neck of his robe. I let go for a second to wipe away my tears, and I noticed that Clay was still hanging on to my waist. He had a single tear streaming down his cheek, so I wiped that away for him. I looked away to the trees, and the evening sun was now a deep, rich red. Clay moved his hands up to my lower back and when I turned back to him, he pulled me in for a chaste kiss. The last thing that could be seen before the sun set was our silhouettes between the tree trunks.

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So fluffy and disgusting XD. I can't believe I just wrote that either. This is by far my longest fic and it'll probably be the last for a while. If it sucked, by all means, flame, but I would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism. Thanks for reading. Peace out. If there are reviews, I may be persuaded to write more, wink wink.


	6. The Game

Sorry guys, I've been swamped with projects and finals and stuff, so I haven't been able to post as frequently. And thank you very much for the two reviews (finally! sobs). The multiple postings are my computer being retarded, so I'll be sure to beat it out of the computer some time in the near future. I also apologize for the badminton fixation, but I'm in love with the sport. Well, that said and done, I'll proceed with the story:

_**I don't own or make anything from this story**_

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After that whole sunset kiss business, I was convinced that I was becoming a romantic. What's gotten into me? Before, I probably would've puked at the thought of that situation, even considering that I'm bisexual, but now, I can't stop thinking about it, or Matt. Going back to that moment, I can't help but think about how Matt tasted sort of... tangy. It was a pleasant surprise, but a surprise nonetheless. Were people supposed to taste that... good? It wasn't that it was freaky or anything, just a bit unnatural if you ask me. There must be some explanation to it, but I have yet to find it. Oh well.

I decided to take a walk in the garden again, and I wonder if I'll see Matt 'cause after that business a few days ago, he's shier than ever around me. Since then, he's opened up to me alot, even if it is with a few more blushes and giggles (like that would make him any less cute), and Kimiko's loosened up her grip enough for us to get a decent amount of alone time. Whenever we're alone, I blush all over just like he does. It's almost shameful how unmanly it is. I puffed out my chest at this thought, but it soon deflated once I realized how "unmanly" romance is in general. The whole business is so much hassle, but I can't help but love it.

I came to the smaller training grounds outside the kitchens and I found Omi and Raimundo setting up what looked like a net. "Whatcha doin' there partner?", I asked Omi as he was fastening the net to one of the poles.

"Ah, friend Clay. We are playing a game of bashing birds", he answered cheerily. From that description, a regular person would have probably would've called 911, but I just waited for Rai to explain.

"He means, smashing birdies", Rai chimed with one of his classic eye-rolls. "Badminton. I own at that game!" Just then, Kimiko and Matt walked out from the kitchens with four rackets and a tube of shuttlecocks. They were laughing a bit, so Matt didn't notice me there and got almost halfway to the court before he turned and realized I was with them. He blushed furiously and started fiddling with his hair.

"Hey Clay!" Kimiko called. "We're gonna play some badminton, you in?" I wasn't one to refuse a challenge, so I nodded in the affirmative.

"How's this gonna work?", I asked Matt as he passed by and handed me a racket.

"Well, we're playing doubles; Kim and me against you and Rai. Omi can keep score and ref for this game, right?" he said this without looking from his preparations. Omi accepted and grabbed a seat at a stone bench right next to the make-shift court. He was in the zone even before we started. It would've been more intimidating if Matt wasn't so... Matt, but it made me uneasy nonetheless. With a rather large stick, he drew boundary lines. They were pretty narrow and deep, so there was no worry of tripping over or altering them.

"All services are below the waist," he demonstrated with a swing that came only to around the upper part of his thigh. "You serve to the diagonal box past the service line" he said, pointing at a line directly in front of my box.

"You only score when you have the serve, and if the serve is lost, it goes to your partner before getting handed over to the other team. The right side always serves first," he pointed at the line dividing the half-courts into quarters "and if a point is scored, the server switches boxes. First service only gets one serve before getting turned over. Got it?" he asked, raising and eyebrow. I slowly processed all the info and I nodded. We'll see how this played out.

Matt flipped the birdie and it landed facing our side of the court. "Would you like to serve or give us the serve?" he asked a little professionally. I motioned for him to take the serve. I figured it would give us the advantage of giving them only one serve. Big mistake.

As soon as the birdie came into his hands, Matt crouched down slightly. One leg came came to the front and he made a back-hand serve aimed right at the corner of my box. I was kind've shocked, so I didn't move for a second too long. My flailing swing came around and hit... nothing. The birdie came down with a dull thud; the sound of failure.

Kimiko high-fived him and they changed boxes. I shrugged at Raimundo and he rolled his eyes before saying, "Come on, Clay! That was pathetic!" Kimiko giggled at the exchange, and I rolled up my sleeves ready for the next one that came to me.

Matt served again, but this time to Raimundo. It came low, just past the service line, so Rai was forced to dive and hit it up high. Matt stepped forward, jumped, and smashed it straight onto Raimundo's butt before he could even get up off the ground. The birdie again hit the ground. This time Raimundo got a taste of failure.

"Ouch," said Kimiko giggling, before switching boxes with Matt. Rai threw the birdie back to Matt with a little redness in his cheeks and determination in his eyes. I smiled and thought, "It's on now!"

Sadly, Matt's streak continued until the score was around 19 to 0, but it was my turn now. I was serving to Kimiko, so I had a chance. She hadn't done anything yet, letting Matt do all the heavy lifting. I might as well score one point before losing the serve.

I served softly, a little ways off of the service line. Kimiko took the racket in both hands and sent a long shot way to the back of our court. It was unexpected, but Rai darted back and sent it straight back. When I looked back at Kimiko and Matt, Matt had taken the back and Kimiko the front. Kimiko missed the shot, and it looked like it was our point before Matt came out of nowhere and bent low to swipe at the falling birdie. It came sailing back over to our side and I smashed it down low to the blind spot Matt had left. I saw him spin around and hit the birdie back with his back turned to us. It came up at an angle to the net, so I tapped it over the net while Matt was down. Kimiko just tapped it back, this time at my blind spot. I turned around, not even attempting to catch it to prevent almost certain injury. Rai dove for it, hit it, but it bounced off the net and hit him in the forehead.

This last display earned Matt another of Kimiko's high-fives. "Dude, that's not fair!", Rai said. "You've got a pro on your team and I'm stuck with Clay here!"

"Fine, _crybaby_," Kim answered, "I'll be on your team." She looked at Matt and then at me and gave me a wink.

"Yeah, I guess 20's enough, right Omi?", Matt joked. Omi only laughed in response. Kimiko gave me a quick hug as she ran over to join Raimundo. Omi had seemingly forgotten that it was actually his turn, but nobody was complaining.

"Now it's a game!" said Rai, a grin playing across his lips. I could just sigh and cross under the net.

Matt gave me a pat on the back when I took my position. "I'm sure you'll do good. You'll see," he said smiling. It didn't make me more confident but it did cheer me up some. Rai flipped the birdie and it landed on their side.

"Hm... I guess I'll have to give Clay the serve", said Raimundo. I just took the birdie and served it over to Rai. Raimundo sent it back and we started a good run. Matt saved many of the difficult shots, often darting around me. He was up at the front when Raimundo sent a long shot.

"Clay!" he called, moving me into action. I took a couple steps back and smashed it into Raimundo's chest.

"Ouch!", came the complaint from Rai. He was rubbing his chest where the birdie hit him.

"C'mon Rai, man up!", I heard Matt joke. I was all grins at our first point and Matt gave me a quick hug and high-five before going to the right side. We switched over and we scored only one more point before having the serve turned over. When Rai and Kim had their turn, they scored four times, both of them stopped by Matt. I lost the serve once I got it, but Matt came back with a ten point streak. By the time they tied the score at 12-12, we were all panting and sweating from our efforts.

"What's say we play to 15?", I suggested breathlessly. I'm sure Rai would've made some crack about me not being able to hold up if he hadn't been a wreck himself at that moment.

"Sure, no prob", was all Rai could muster. "Any objections ref?", he directed to Omi. Since there obviously were none, we continued. Matt was doing pretty well for the first volley, but when the birdie came at me, I flailed and lost it. However, I'd been watching Matt play and I thought I could replicate his game. We got ready, and I had the serve this time.

I did a short back-hand serve to Rai and he hit the birdie up to clear the net. It's arc was very high and next to the net, so a little tap was all it needed to get over and create an impossibly great angle for Rai and Kimiko. Raimundo's jaw dropped as he saw the birdie meet the dirt. My only response to his shock was a somewhat smug smile.

Kimiko was next. She looked ready for action with her feet shoulder width apart and her knees bent. I sent her a long serve to the middle, just barely in her box. She hesitated for a second, debating whether or not to go for it. At the last second, she dove for it and sent it clear over Matt's head. It came back to me, so I drove it straight at Raimundo. Rai, not to be hit by that again, sidestepped and made a low swing under-hand to catch the falling shuttlecock. This time, it came up at a nice angle, so Matt crouched down ready and as soon as it was over him, he jumped up and smashed it straight down over their court. There was no way that they were saving that, so Rai didn't even bother diving.

One more point to go. I glanced over at Matt and he gave me a nod to proceed, so once Rai threw back the birdie I launched a short serve to the front corner of his box. He didn't dive this time, instead opting to bend low and hit the bird with a scooping motion. It wasn't as powerful as the other shot, so it dropped pretty quickly after making it over. Matt came in front and delivered a tap that sent it back at Rai for an even steeper drop before darting back to his original position. In response, Rai cleared it over both our heads, forcing Matt to jump back and do a shallow smash. Kimiko easily reflected it, but it came up a little too high and short. Seeing my opportunity ,I jumped up, and smashed it down to the back of Raimundo's box. For a second, I couldn't believe I pulled that off, but after a few seconds Omi broke in.

"The winners are Clay and Matt", he announced with a smile. Raimundo was absolutely fuming at the announcement, but Kimiko came over and congratulated us.

"Lucky shot", Rai muttered under his breath. It wasn't very often where I can say that I bested Rai in something sports related (other than wrestling and cattle sports) so I savored the moment like a stray dog savors a steak. When Matt came up to me and pulled me into a bear hug, the constant blush I've been sporting for the entire game deepened into a tomato red. He was practically beaming at me when he let go.

"Clay, we won!", came the very obvious statement. He was smiling that smile of his and laughing. We were both so sweaty that I could see his hair plastered against his forehead and sticking up in odd places. I couldn't help but laugh and hug him again.

"Yes friend. You are flaming!", chirped Omi from behind. Matt was kind of put off by this and gave a glance to Kimiko and then to me. I blushed at the very accurate mistake. "What?", asked Omi.

"I think you mean 'on fire', Omi", came Kimiko's response.

"Well, both work", spat Raimundo. That little barb earned him a slap from Kimiko. "Ay! What was that for?" Any complaints after that were lost to Kimiko's death glare. Rai just slowly backed away and retreated to the kitchens. I could just imagine him with a tail between his legs.

As soon as he was a safe distance away, we all broke into laughter with the exception of Matt. Although we got him this time, he'd come back fine in a matter of minutes. It was just Rai's nature to joke and to be a sore loser, but he can also be very forgiving, so I'm sure he won't take our laughter to heart. Matt didn't look so sure of that, so when he watched Rai walking away, he placed a hand on my arm. I turned and saw his eyes follow Raimundo inside.

"I'll see you guys later," Matt broke in, giving my arm a gentle squeeze and following Rai inside. I wonder what he's up to.

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Sorry for the cliffie, I like to write with a rotating POV, and the next Chapter will have alot of Matt and Raimundo in it.


	7. More Confessions

Sorry guys, I had some finals so forgive my slowness. It's alright though because summer is just around the corner ). This is a kinda short fic, so I apologize if it doesn't satisfy.

_**I don't own or make anything from this fic.**_

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After the badminton game, I was a little worried when I saw Raimundo storm off like that (no wind pun intended). He really seemed upset, and it wasn't like him. The thing that worried me most was that he wasn't being his regular insensitive, cocky, hurtful self. Now that I think about it, it doesn't really seem that bad, but I suppose there most be some consequence to the transformation.

Ever since that whole "kissy-kissy" sunset stuff, I've been acting like a little girl with a crush. I'd bet Clay would be puffing out his chest if he thought about how unmanly it was. Ah well; I guess we made up for it during the badminton... except for the hugging thing. I really wasn't acting like myself anymore, and I think Clay's to blame for that. I sensed a change in him too, but it was only in the little things.

Whenever I entered a room, he'd turn and give me a smile before going back to what he was doing. That was always something to look forward too, but it was nowhere near as awkward as him holding doors for me or tipping his hat; those always made my notorious blush flare up. There's nothing bad about them, it's just that it's difficult to wrap my mind around the idea that _I _was being... courted. I could practically feel the sigh coming on. It's to be expected considering my situation; Clay's not one to go for that sort of stuff on the receiving end.

I went into the kitchen and looked around- no sign of Raimundo. This is where Clay and I have been eating lunch together for the last few days. It's nice to spend some time alone with him everyday, and I can honestly say that I enjoy his company. He's very polite and never judgmental or insensitive, making him extraordinarily easy to talk to. Since we've started dining together, I'm pretty sure he knows more about me than Kimiko, and that's saying something. She's been picking my brain, secret by secret since the day I arrived here at the temple. From what I've seen, she's just craving someone to share thoughts with, and seeing the stock here I'm not surprised she jumped at the chance to make me her companion.

"Can't think about that now, Matt, snap out of it!", I told myself. Good thing too, because I was about to find out what the fridge felt like against my face. I recoiled from the close call, and I stopped to think for a second. "If I were Raimundo where would I go?" Right after I asked myself, the answer struck me.

When I reached the rooftop, it was mid-afternoon. It was really quite hard to get to and I wondered if Raimundo went through the trouble of scaling the walls every time he comes up here, but of course, I find him with a Shen Gong Wu in hand.

He was sitting near the center of the roof, propped up against a higher tower. It struck me as a kind of bad boy-ish pose; so much so that I had to physically resist the urge to go over there and slap him on the back of the head.

I found myself thinking once again "typical" before approaching Raimundo. He seemed a little frustrated, but in a way subdued. From what I could discern, he was going through some inner turmoil. Instead of doing the clichéd sit down or hand on shoulder, I decided to climb over the tower and drop in on him from above.

"Ay! My god, Matt, what are you doing?!" was the shocked reply that came from Raimundo after I dropped in on him. I was just about to make some witty remark when I slipped and fell on my face. It was not the graceful entrance that I hoped for. I looked up at Raimundo and I could see him choking back laughter with very little success. It was only a matter of time before he exploded, and when he did I couldn't help but laugh too.

With the tension broken, I refocused on the heart of the problem. "So Rai, tell me. What's up?", I asked. He seemed a little shocked at my straightforward approach, but I wasn't one to feed around the bush.

"Wh-what do you mean?", he stuttered, cracking his voice a little. I could almost hear the gulp. Looks like this is a sensitive area.

"You know what I mean, Rai. What's up with you? I mean, you can hardly stand to be near Kim and me for more than a couple minutes tops. Mind telling me why?" He seemed a little startled by my question and soon became frustrated. Apparently there were some sore feelings there.

"Why do you think, Bro? I mean, you just show up and she's all over you. What do you need me for when everyone else thinks you're so awesome and special? Huh?" As soon as he said it, I could tell that he regretted it. I couldn't see myself, but I'm sure I would've had a tear or two in my eye. However, I could understand where he was coming from, so I wasn't angry. "Look, Matt, I didn't mean-"

"Rai, you honestly think that I like Kimiko?", I blurted, cutting him off. "Don't let me stand in your way. I'm not really into her."

"What is that supposed to mean?", he growled, grabbing the collar of my shirt. "So you're not serious about her? She's just another girl? You don't deserver her, bro!" By the end of his little speech, he was seething.

I put my hands up in defense. "Dude, I'm not into her or any other girl!", I replied quickly. At this point I didn't think it mattered who knew, but it took Raimundo a second to process what I just told him.

"So you mean, you're..." I nodded. "And you and Kimiko aren't..." Again, I nodded. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then started to chuckle. His small chuckles soon grew into hysterical laughter. I was a little scared, so I just backed away slightly with an arm ready to protect myself from any craziness Raimundo was capable of doing at the moment.

"R-rai? Are you okay?", I asked tentatively. His laughter subsided and he responded with a quick thump to the back.

"Matt, you know what I just realized? I've hated you since the first day you got here because Kim was all over you." He looked over to the gardens after that. "I'm just glad you're... you know. I don't know what I'd do if she forgot about me..." he mused.

"Gosh, Raimundo. Sometimes I wonder when people will stop caring about a whole lot of nothing." When I looked over at him, he had a sort of dreamy look on his face. His eyes were glazed over and they stared unblinkingly into the lush green of the gardens. I turned my head to see what he was looking at, and I felt two hands yank at my thighs.

Typical. I was about to yell, but it was stifled when I tripped over my pants. Raimundo's laughter was echoing across the grounds as I collected my pants and pulled them back up. I'm just glad we were on the roof. Maybe I should wear a belt from now on.

--

Just a little Rai and Matt moment. I hope you enjoyed. Please read and review if you liked.


	8. Unexpected Power

I apologize greatly for Raimundo's OOC-ness in the last Chapter. And excuse my retarded Clay slang in here. This chapter will have a little bit of fighting, so I sorta dragged it out a bit. I need the practice with fight scene writing.

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I went looking for Matt after a couple minutes, but I couldn't find him anywhere. It was like he just disappeared after he went looking for Raimundo. I'm guessing he went to the same place Raimundo did seeing as Rai always found some way to disappear for hours at a time. I wonder where they've gone off to.

When I walked into the gardens, I saw Raimundo flying down a tower with the Sword of the Storm. He was laughing at something, so I turned to where he was flying from. I caught a glimpse of someone pulling up their pants. When I realized it was Matt, I decided I'd have to have a talk with Raimundo later.

The next thing I wondered was how Matt planned on getting down. He turned and my heart dropped. "Please don't jump, Matt", I mumbled, cringing at the thought. I was relieved when I saw him begin scaling the wall. That is, until he ran out of footholds. This time, my stomach did a back-flip as Matt sprung off the wall.

It was a good 50 foot drop from the top of the tower to the ground, but he flipped off and aimed for a lower tier of the roofs. I could barely stand to watch him fall. When he hit the roof, he slid down the curved top and when he came to the end where it curved up, he flipped again and grabbed a tree branch. He swung around once or twice and launched himself into one of the garden paths.

I was stunned at the show, but it didn't stop me from sprinting towards him. When I finally found him, he was walking along as if nothing happened. I stood directly in his path and crossed my arms. "And what have we been up to? Hm?" I asked when he was in ear shot. Matt just looked at me with a sort of confused look across his face. I could see this developing into a mother hen sort of thing, but I could really care less at the moment.

"Is there some reason you need to be jumping off of roofs and flipping and what not? I don't much see the point in risking death just to get down the roof faster", I could just imagine my mom clucking and tapping her foot the same way I was. Matt's confusion dissipated to be replaced with a downcast, shameful puppy-dog face. It was more than I could take, so I just motioned for him to give me a hug and we laughed into the embrace.

When I let go Matt said, "Well, Raimundo had a Shen Gong Wu, so I didn't see any way I could catch him if I climbed down. I guess it would've been a better idea since I had no chance of catching him anyways." He gave a little sigh, "You've got to admit though, that was pretty cool." A grin spread across his face that just screamed for me to pinch his cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll see how cool it is when you end up in the hospital," I clucked, ignoring the urge. "I nearly had a heart attack watching you fall. I should practice my tai chi a little more." When I got into my stance, Matt just snorted and shoved me, knocking off my balance.

"Yeah right, Clay. You haven't seen anything yet. You should've seen me when I started practicing le parkour. Not very pretty," he laughed. He turned around and lifted a pant leg. His legs weren't misshapen like I saw many scarred areas on other people were, but they had clearly darker stitch marks on the silky soft skin. The "tsk"s and clucks continued well after he lowered the pant leg.

A scowl from Matt silenced them. "What? You know what they say, 'No pain, no gain'." The tough guy face he attempted failed miserably and we burst into laughter when we couldn't hold the moment any longer.

"Matt, I've been meaning to ask you something", I told him after we finished laughing. The moment grew tense almost immediately when he saw my serious face. My heartbeat quickened like it always did when I dealt with these serious matters. I could feel my pulse skyrocket and my hands start to sweat.

The moment was interrupted when a racket came from inside the temple. Hearing Dojo scream something about a Shen Gong Wu alert, I grabbed Matt's hand and we sprinted inside.

"What's up this time, Dojo?", asked Rai. Seeing us come in, he gave a quick look at our hands and then smiled at Matt. Matt blushed slightly and I had a feeling something happened with those two.

"It's the Staff of Jupiter. It's said to give the user greater strength and manipulation over lightning", Dojo said.

"So basically, it's like the Eye of Dashi except steroid version?", asked Rai.

"You could put it that way I guess" shrugged Dojo. "Let's get moving before anyone else crashes the party."

--

Dojo took us over an ocean and what I assumed was a couple of countries. Before we left, Raimundo took the Sword of the Storm with the Eye of Dashi, Kimiko took the Star Hanabi, and Omi took the Orb of Tornami. My only Wu was the fist of Tebigong. Matt, being new, got the easiest to handle which was the Mantis Flip Coin, but after seeing his performance earlier I doubted he would need it.

We landed in a small clearing surrounded by mountains, very much like where we found the Eye of Dashi. After landing, we split up. Rai, Kim and Omi would go in one group and Matt, Dojo, and I would go in the other. As usual, the Shen Gong Wu search was very tedious and frustrating at points.

"Where could that staff thingie be?", I grumbled.

"Close. Really, close", answered Dojo while scratching his usual Shen Gong Wu rash. It was really disgusting, but you get used to it. Matt was still distracted by it for a good portion of the search time. Dojo led us into the direction of a cave, and when we got there, Omi, Rai, and Kimiko arrived.

"Any luck?" asked Kim. Nobody needed to answer because of Dojo's convulsions coupled with the fact that we weren't carrying any staffs.

As we entered the cave, all of the light faded into near complete darkness.

"Whoo-wee! It's darker than a black bear in a tar pit down here", I yelled to ease the tension. As soon as I did say it though, a light appeared around a bend in the tunnel. After a minute or two we came to the end of the tunnel where it opened up into a huge chamber. Inside the chamber, there was a ray of light that hit a crystal formation in the center of the room. That small light reflected all across the room on more crystals.

The chamber was amazingly bright considering the amount of light it was given. The very walls seemed to glow. As we walked through the cave, the light flickered and dimmed in places, making it seem like we were walking in a melting mirror.

After further inspection, there was one more ray of light. This one hit a long decorated staff that was a glittering bronze-gold color. along its edges, there were writhing designs of what seemed like vines made of metal. When we ran over to grab it, an explosion came from behind us.

"Not so fast Xiaolin Losers!", called a rather annoying girlish voice. Immediately, we took our fighting stances and faced a swarm of robots coming out of a large hole in the cave wall. Luckily, the cave seemed to withstand the blow and showed no signs of imploding. Following the robots was a pale guy with too much make up. When he smiled, Matt cringed at the yellow teeth.

"Jack Spicer!", called Kimiko. "Why don't you go back home and play with your toys before we have to kick your butt?" Kimiko temper, as usual, was flaring up pretty fast. The rest of us waited for a reply. However, Jack seemed to be accustomed to Kim's derision, so he just ignored her and turned to Matt.

"Who's this? A new dragon?", he asked motioning to Matt. I took a step forward coming between Jack and Matt.

"None of your business Jack, now get a move on before we have you squealing like a suckling pig", I growled.

This obviously didn't suit Jack, so he yelled, "Jackbots attack!", and the robots sprung into action. They came at us with their usual spinning saw blades and lasers while Jack went for the staff. Raimundo was taking them out right and left with bolts of lightning and Kimiko was holding her own with streaks of fire. Omi had frozen and broken at least a dozen Jackbots, so he was fine. Matt surprised me by flipping into the middle of the action and destroying two in one move. I was snapped out of my stupor when a piece of shrapnel grazed my arm. It was my turn now.

I took on the rest of the Jackbots myself and successfully smashed four in a row with the Fist of Tebigong. The others went to retrieve Jack but our imminent victory was dampened by the arrival of Chase Young. All fighting ceased in his wake. The very last robots were destroyed just as Chase entered.

"Ah, young monks, I see you've found a new friend", Chase stated smugly. "Let's see how he holds up, shall we?" Matt's attention turned to Chase as he transformed and charged at him. Chase's other form was a dragon-like creature with many stripes, claws, and fangs. With a little hesitance, Matt dodged Chase's first blow and they began laying into each other.

As roars and grunts echoed of the cave walls, Rai, Kim, Omi, and I made our team formation. In unison we yelled, "Wudai Orion Formation!" and all you could see of us was our outlines. The next thing we knew was that Matt was thrown into the wall behind us. His robes were ripped by now, but there were only scratches across his face.

Omi and Kimiko went after the staff that Jack still hadn't managed to get while Rai and I stayed to help Matt with Chase. As Chase emerged, he seemed pleased with something and his gaze was trained straight on Matt.

"Very interesting. What, may I ask, is your name?" he asked Matt. When Matt noticed that the fighting had stopped for the moment he stood straight.

"Matthew", Matt said slowly. The tension was so thick you could cut it. They stared at each other intensely. Matt's face was hard as stone, whereas Chases was dripping with smugness detectable even with the dragon fangs.

"Well, then, shall we continue?", asked Chase after a minute, lunging at Matt. However, I wouldn't let that continue so easily.

"Wudai Crater: Earth!" I yelled, forming rock fists. I caught Chase by the tail and swung him into the ground before he could reach Matt. Chase however, quickly recovered and swatted Rai and me away like flies before advancing on Matt again. This time, I couldn't hurt Chase without some danger of hitting Matt, so Rai and I focused on getting in on the fight.

Chase's blows seemed to just miss Matt by a hair, but Matt wasn't fairing well. He had a couple more scratches now, but a gash here and there too. Rai and I pulled Chase out and laid into him. The blows were furious and there were a couple boulders and gusts of wind mixed in there. Matt ran off to retrieve the staff with Kim and Omi.

As I was pounding Chase with the Fist of Tebigong, a dazzling light came from behind us. We all stopped when a showdown started up. The cave morphed and there was a jungle gym of crystal that was set up inside the cave. I looked around and we were in our Wudai Warrior uniforms now, except for Raimundo and Matt. Rai had a black version of the uniform with flames licking at the arms and legs. Matt's version was white with no mask.

Apparently, the challenge was first to fall of loses. Matt wagered the Mantis Flip Coin and Jack had the Monkey Staff. It didn't seem like a very fair match, but I had confidence in Matt.

Matt shot us a reassuring look and then proceeded to the jungle gym. He and Jack met somewhere near the top. Had the ceiling been there still it would have been reduced to rubble with the raising of the gym.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" resounded in the chamber and there was a flash of light that reflected off the crystal as the showdown began.

Jack pulled a cheap move early in the game by swinging round and physically pulling Matt of of a bar. Matt however, just grabbed the next one and swung back up where his foot met with Jack's face. As Jack came back around, Matt flipped up and delivered a strong blow to Jack's back, sending him hurdling down.

Jacks tail saved him and he swung back up. This time, Matt came in from the side, wrapped his legs around Jack and grabbed a bar. From there, he swung around it until he built up enough speed to launch Jack downwards. Again, Jack wasn't to be defeated.

Jack landed a couple grazing blows, but on the whole, Matt was too fast for him. One blow in particular came down on Matt's arm and Matt let go of the flip coin. I cringed at the sight, and Jack scooped it up while swinging on a bar. He laughed a very monkey-like laugh and swung another bar away.

"What now, new guy?", he gloated. Matt responded with a grunt and charged Jack. While Jack was laughing, Matt came from below him with a spinning kick. Even without the coin, Matt was able to do a couple flips to regain his balance.

"I don't know", grunted Matt. He was coming in on Jack with both feet. Unfortunately for Jack, Matt's blow landed."You tell me!" His sentence was punctuated with the dull thud of Jack hitting a bar.

It was obviously taking a toll on Jack just to stay in the game, but there was no way that Matt was going down. Matt came in from Jack's side again, landed a double-footed blow and pushed off to deliver a devastating axe-kick to Jack's back. That did the trick and Jack was down for the count.

The showdown ended and Matt was left holding two staffs and a coin. He pocketed the coin and then threw the Monkey Staff to Omi. Immediately, Omi's body was covered with thick fur, and he hopped behind Matt.

"Matt, as usual, that was _most _impressive" chirped Omi. Matt only smiled and rubbed Omi's head. Had he had any hair, it would have been ruffled.

I rushed over to them and received a hug from Matt. While Rai and Kim came over, I noticed that Chase was still with us. Matt followed my gaze and his smile quickly faded.

"So," was Matt's only comment.

Chase's only reply was to chuckle and go back into his fighting stance. This time, he was in his human form. But this time, Matt had the Staff of Jupiter. Chase charged him and Matt simply stood and fought with the staff like a normal weapon.

The blows kept on coming and it seemed like neither of them was gaining ground. The point came where Chase landed a slash across Matt's back. Matt cringed in pain for a moment, and was knocked back to the other side of the cave.

I started running in his direction, but he was already up and ready again. Considering the circumstances, Matt was doing pretty well, but it still didn't mean he was in good shape. Chase had barely a scratch on him while Matt was bruised and bloodied. Matt didn't seem to notice though because he just got back up and faced Chase again.

This time, Matt pulled out the new Shen Gong Wu. "Staff of Jupiter: Lightning!", Matt called. We were all a little shocked, but in a good way at Matt's apparent lightning abilities. Electricity sparked across his frame and his eyes twinkled with power. Chase didn't seem phased though and went straight back to the fight.

The tables had turned greatly after Matt's power-up. Each blow was accompanied by a spark and jolt of electricity and the staff hissed as it darted through the air. I wanted to get in on it, but it seemed like I would only get in the way in addition to getting a good shock or two. When Chase was downed, Matt spun the staff and created a dazzling wheel of lightning. With the staff, Matt struck the ground and sent the wheel hurdling towards Chase. The next thing I knew there was a flash and a bang where Chase just was.

As the dust cleared, Chase was nowhere to be found. We looked to the site of impact and there was a huge crater with a trail of charred stone leading back to Matt. I was wondering what happened to Chase; that is, until a chuckle echoed behind us.

Chase was perched at the gap in the chamber. "Very good, young monk. Very good." chuckled Chase. "I hope to see more of you in the future." That was all he said before making his nonchalant exit.

Matt stood tall in Chase's presence, but just collapsed after it was all over. I caught him before he fell to the ground and he was still clutching the staff while he fell into my arms.

"Matt!", yelled Kimiko, rushing to his side. It was a very tense moment and we were relieved after she checked for a pulse. This whole mission turned out to be a success, but it was overshadowed by Matt's surprise powers. I brushed a lock of hair out of his face and it was almost shocking (no electricity pun intended) how that power could come out of such a vulnerable looking person.

None of us talked about what just happened, and I think we were all glad not to. It seemed like Master Fung had some explaining to do when we got back to the temple. Dojo transformed almost silently and we got on for the ride home.

--

le parkour is basically like urban ninja stuff. I'm pretty sure it's Russian Urban acrobatics.

Sorry for this chapter. I'm getting a little more free time, so I'll be posting a little more often. I hope you enjoyed this one too, and thank you for my third review.


	9. How the Tables Have Turned

My last chapter was a little odd in terms of perspective, and I didn't give a really good feel for Clay. I wanted to give my first real action chapter some meat to it, so I apologize if it was a little... tedious. This one's going to start with Clay's POV a bit so we can get into the feel of the chapter.

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**Clay's POV**

After that whole crazy battle, we were all happy to be on our way home. Matt couldn't be left to ride alone, so I was holding him down for most of the ride. We were traveling east, so the sunset lasted a good hour or two before we made it all the way back to the temple.

As we landed, I scooped Matt up into my arms and carried him to the bedrooms. The others followed me and we managed to get Matt out of his torn shirt and treated a couple of cuts.

"You think he'll be alright?", Kimiko whispered to me. I couldn't muster an answer so I just smiled and nodded. She put a hand on my arm and Raimundo came to her side.

"C'mon, Kim. We should get to bed.", he said softly. After shooting a worried look to Matt, he gave me a wink and led Kim off. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her blush slightly before turning the corner.

Omi helped me clean Matt up a bit while Rai and Kim prepared for bed. We sponged him off and took off a good amount of dirt and dried blood off of him. I noticed that he was still holding the staff, so I gently took it from his hands and propped it up against the wall. It was chilly, so we put Matt under the covers. We couldn't find any robes for him and we didn't want to go through his stuff so I dressed him up in one of my extra robes.

"Goodnight, Clay. I hope Matt gets better soon." he said, bowing. I gave him a smile and he returned it. "You have done a most excellent job of tending to our friend."

"I'm much obliged to you, Omi." I thanked him, giving him an even bigger smile. He seemed satisfied with that, so he turned and left.

"I shall collide for tonight." he said as he stepped out of the room.

I was baffled for a moment until Raimundo passed by the doorway and said, "I think you mean, 'crash', Omi." Without so much as a blink Rai continued to his room.

Moments later, I was alone with Matt. Fortunately, my room was nearby, but I had no intention of leaving Matt alone. I was content just wondering about why Master Fung hadn't told us about his powers. If his element is lightning, then how does that fit in with everyone else? If I think about it, everyone's elements are connected to lightning.

It just seems odd that Master Fung wouldn't tell us something like this. We'd never expected another Dragon Warrior, but it wasn't so shocking seeing how Jermaine suddenly became one. I had the distinct feeling that Matt had had some other form of training before he came here though. None of us could have taken on Chase Young when we first arrived here, and it's doubtful that any of us would be able to defeat him on our own.

"Matt, what've you been hiding from us?" I asked with a sigh. He just continued sleeping while I pondered the situation. There wasn't any way around it, I figured. I was a little hurt that he didn't tell me, but if he told anyone, I was confident that it would be me.

With that thought in mind, I went and got a couple of extra sheets from my room. I set myself up so that I would be here when Matt woke up. We were so close that I could hear him breath. Having him an arm's length away was a comforting thought. Before I went to bed, I took off my robe top, deciding to sleep in just a wife beater. I also discarded he hat and boots for once. While I set up my bed and blew out he candle I wondered how Matt would react to me being in here. I would hate to see how Matt would react to seeing me in my boots while I slept; the very thought of it brought a small chuckle.

I just laid down and relaxed while I listened to the sounds of Matt sleeping. Every now and then, I would hear him whine or grunt. Those sounds just made it excruciatingly hard to resist cuddling up with him. It was so difficult almost started whining myself. If Matt woke up with me on him, he'd probably scream rape. The very thought made me less inclined to the idea of snuggling.

The only thing I could do was put my hands behind my head and let my eyes droop shut.

--

**Matt's POV**

I woke up and tried to get up, but the effort only made my head start spinning. I decided to keep my eyes shut while the sensation wore off, so it was a mystery to me why my pillow felt abnormally firm. I rubbed and poked it, and it was soft, but very dense. Another thing was that it seemed to be wrapped around me, so as I felt up and down the "pillow", I came to a hand, and also a mop of hair.

"What the-", I started groggily. When I opened my eyes, I saw Clay watching me, like he'd been watching me sleep. "Um... Clay, what're you doing?"

"I-I... Uh...", Clay stammered. It was clear he was watching me sleep, but I still needed an answer to why he was here in my room. "Matt, I... uh.. Well."

This was obviously going nowhere fast. "Clay, why don't you start by explaining to me what happened last night?" After that little nudge, he told me that he took me in here yesterday, cleaned me up, and stayed to make sure he'd be there if I needed anything.

Apparently, he'd made a seperate bed, and as I was still laying on him, I looked back and saw that my bed was mussed and empty. It looked like he was telling the truth, so I let it slide this time. I might as well enjoy the situation too while it lasted. Dawn hadn't cracked yet, so we had some time to waste.

We ended up staying there for about an hour while we talked about everything from where we came from and just ourselves in general. While Clay told me of the farm and his childhood, I laid on his chest with my eyes closed. It was sort of chilly outside, so his body heat was comforting.

"You listening, or are you sleeping?" he chuckled. The bouncing under my head caused me to groan and laugh.

"I'm listening, I'm listening." I laughed sleepily.

"Well, if you were listening, then you would've known that I was finished", he told me. I blushed and decided to start explaining my home life. Clay listened intently.

"Well, my mom was a famous martial artist. When she was little, she was adopted from somewhere in eastern Asia by some rich family. I've never known the exact details of her childhood becuase she never believed on dwelling on the past. I'm pretty sure something happened though because she used to cry whenever I asked her about my grandparents." I paused a little there and pondered the subject. When I realized Clay was still waiting I continued .

"She'd been training since she could walk in every form of fighting style imaginable. She's the one who taught me how to fight. My dad on the other hand was a sholar. He was something like a child prodigy. I mostly remember that he always made me think and figure things out on my own. Every time I asked him a question, he'd ask me, 'Why do you think that is?'" I laughed at the memory of my father.

"I lived with them in Texas until I was seven, then they decided they would let me experience the world. From that day forward, I was traveling one place or another. My home was usually the spare room of a family friend's house or a hotel room in some exotic city. I haven't spent more than a couple months with them since. I was actually with them right before I came here. I caught a plane here and then they cut me off as soon as I landed. I guess they didn't want me to turn back before my training was finished." I sighed, letting Clay process what I told him.

Clay responded after a good minute or two. "So, you've been spending the last couple of years around the world? I reckon that does a guy good, but at seven? That's a whole load of nonsense. My folks wouldn't've let me cross town let alone cross borders when _I _was seven"

"Well, I don't know about that, but you get used to being on your own after a while. I made alot of friends in different places, so I'd be set if I was ever on the run in a foriegn country." I replied. "Although, if I could go back, I probably would've done it a little differently." Thinking about my past and parents was a little odd, but it was nice to have someone to turn to like Clay. I couldn't help but have some doubts about my parents intentions. Ever since I was ten, I wondered why they decided to send me off instead of raise me at home. Clay sensed my unease and held me closer.

I smiled and buried my face in his chest. The warmth sent tingles down my entire body, and I could feel my toes curl in pleasure. When I thought about it, Clay had been so wonderful to me this entire time. He's very easy-going and patient that it makes me feel ashamed of how much different I am. I've often caught myself being hot-headed, scatter-brained, and antsy during my stay at the temple. It's a wonder I don't send people through the roof with my constant twitching and movement.

After my musings, I suddenly hopped up and said, "Well, we'd better get a move on, right?" As I stretched and limbered up, Clay just laughed and grunted while he rose. When I came back up from touching my toes, Clay spun me around and gave me a big bear hug. While I was laughing into his chest, he kissed the top of my head.

I laughed and looked up at him. Something hit me then. "Clay?"

"Yeah? What is it?", he asked. He seemed slightly puzzled.

"What were you trying to tell me earlier?" I responded. There was still some confusion there. "I mean, before Dojo went all red alert with the Wu." I grabbed the staff and held it close.

"Oh..." was all Clay could say. I waited for something more, but he just looked away blushing. In his pants and beater, I could see his entire torso redden up. While he was looking for something to say, he picked up his hat and fiddled with it.

I could only smile and giggle at his embarrassment. While he was stuttering and stammering, I wrapped my arms around his neck forgetting the staff and nuzzled the cup in his shoulder. In response, he held me close and laughed while kissing the top of my head.

"Matt", he asked me. I looked up and let him continue. "Well, Matt. I think you can tell already that I really like you."

I looked him over while we were still hugging. "I would bet on that."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is..." he paused while I tried to coax out an answer from him using my eyes.

"Yes?", I asked impatiently. Chances were that we'd be here all day if I didn't give him a little nudge here and there.

"Would you like to go take a walk with me some time?", he asked. I was a little confused as to how that could embarrass him so much until he said, "You know, just the two of us." I was absolutely beaming while he waited for an answer.

"Of course, Clay!", I yelled. His blush reemerged and I pinched his cheek before going back to stretching. After a couple minutes of toe-touching and back-scrunching, we got ready to leave. Oddly enough, I was wearing Clay's shirt. I hadn't noticed it before, but when I brought it up to my nose, I could smell deodorant and something spicy near the end of the sleeve.

I didn't notice Clay looking while I inspected the shirt. "Enjoying yourself?", came the question from behind me. I turned around slowly with an innocent face on and was met with Clay with a raised eyebrow. He had his hat on by now so it made him seem a little more serious. My face grew hot and I quickly discarded the shirt. I saw him turn and chuckle, so I took that opportunity to get out of there. He was still collecting his boots and blankets, so it seemed like a good idea to take a shower while he was busy.

Yesterday's robe was the only one I'd gotten so far, so I would have to make due with another outfit. Grabbing a bag of toiletries and a change of clothes from my bag, I headed to the showers.

--

By the time I left my room, the morning had barely begun. It was an odd feeling because Clay and I had been talking for what seemed like an eternity. Not that I was complaining; quite the contrary really. It was just the knowledge that we were awake when others were still dreaming made our conversation seem so much more private and special.

"God, I'm hopeless", I muttered to myself as I stepped out of the shower. Well, hopelessly in love. I was careful not to say that part out loud because Clay had come into the room at some point of my shower and gotten into the shower

After the shower incident, I had gotten into the habit of changing in the bathroom. However, this time Clay was just in the next shower stall. They were fully closed, so he couldn't look out on me, but we could still somehow time it so that he stepped out right as I dropped my towel.

I waited a second and decided to just get it over with, so I dropped my towel and pulled on some underwear. Surprisingly, I made it into my full outfit without a hitch. Today, I decided to wear all black. I had a pear of black baggy sweats and a long sleeved shirt that hugged. I'm not really sure if it was too small for me because the sleeves reached only halfway down my forearms, but the rest was perfect. On my wrists, I had black sweatbands. They weren't really necessary, but I find them fun to play with while I'm bored.

Confident in my decency, I strutted out of the bathroom. I made it halfway back to my room before I had a face-palm moment(1): I'd left all my crap in the bathroom.

There was no way I was leaving it there when I had to deal with the likes of Raimundo, so I sprinted back to the bathroom and collided with something big, blond, and soapy. I was knocked back and stumbled onto my butt. When I looked up, it was Clay coming out of the shower. He was dripping wet and had an armful of clothes and that same arm was clutching the towel. I decided to play off my embarrassment, so I greeted him.

"Hey, Clay. What's up?", I asked nonchalantly, still on the floor. There was really nothing else I could think to say, so I turned to the normal greeting.

"Not you.", he replied, with a little chuckle. Even then, I still didn't attempt to stand.

"Well, what're you doing?", I shot from the floor. The answer was pretty obvious though.

"Um... The answer to that is pretty obvious, don't you think?", he replied, motioning to the towel and wet body with a flourish of his free arm. My eyes followed his arm, but I looked away as soon as it traveled too low. He made no move to help me up.

"Oh, yeah... Well, I guess I'll see you later then", I mumbled. "So... I'm just gonna go and get my clothes now." I started to get up, so Clay tucked in his towel and reached over to help me, but his wet feet slipped and he fell on top of me.

He was laying between my legs with the pile of clothes strewn around us. It would've been quite the scene had anyone looked. My hands were braced against his chest from the impact and he was still a little dazed from the fall. When he finally came to, he lifted himself off from the ground with his hands, and looked down at me. As he processed the scene, the realization hit him that we were in a very inappropriate position, so he made a sort of yelp and scrambled off of me.

"Matt, I'm _really _sorry. I didn't mean to. It was an accident", he blurted while his hands motioned towards me in apology. Having him so flustered and embarrassed made me think back to the first shower incident and think, "Oh, how the tables have turned." Seeing him start to panic, I put a hand on his shoulder.

He stopped immediately. "It's alright, Clay. Calm down. You act like you didn't like it", I joked. Apparently, that didn't help the matter. After I collected all of his clothes, I gave him a wink and he groaned. "That wasn't a no", I said to myself, giggling.

He still didn't seem satisfied, so as I handed him the clothes I tiptoed and gave him a peck on the cheek. It was the first one he got since the sunset kiss business. While I retrieved all of my stuff, I couldn't hear him moving. I came back out and the only change was that his hand had found its way up to the considerably redder cheek.

"Yes, how the tables have turned", I thought with a secret laugh.

--

(1)A face-palm moment is a moment where you slap your forehead with the palm of your hand.

Well, Chapter... 9? is it? I can't even remember. I really should read my own work . Well, I hope you enjoyed it, and review if you'd like; ttfn.


	10. Demonstration

**Finally! It's summertime! I'll be a little faster with these updates if I can get an idea of how to take this story. If there are any suggestions, they're all welcome and will be taken into consideration.**

_I don't own any characters, and I do not gain monetary profit from this story. _

--

Master Fung usually kept us informed, and it was surprising that he didn't tell us about Matt. We doubted that his arrival and apparent dragon powers were a coincidence, so it was time for Master Fung to 'fess up.

He called us into the courtyard first thing that morning. When we arrived, he was standing in the center with his arms behind his back.

"Ah, young monks. Thank you for coming on such short notice", he greeted us. Rai, Omi, and Kimiko were all antsier than a rodeo clown in lead shoes. I couldn't say I was any better. "I know that you've all been wondering about Matt, and it's understandable that you'd be upset that I hadn't told you sooner."

Had it been anyone else, I would've expected Rai or Kimiko to say "duh", but not with Master Fung.

"You see, Matthew, and all of you for that matter, are simply a handful of the many who become Shaolin warriors. It's not uncommon for a new warrior to rise, much like Jermaine did after meeting Omi." We all nodded and he continued. "Matthew is destined to be the dragon of lightning. I asked him to keep this a secret to avoid any conflict within the team." We all looked at Matt and any hurt we had from him keeping that secret was lost. "Even I cannot foresee how many dragons may arise. We can only hope that these warriors choose the side of good. Seeing Matthew's abilities, I'm sure all of you are glad he was brought here first. Am I right?" He raised an eyebrow at that last part, and I looked over to give Matt a smile.

By now, everyone had calmed down a bit. It was a little more understandable that he was another dragon in training after hearing it from Master Fung.

"That's for sure", replied Kimiko to Master Fung's question. She came over and gave Matt a smile and a hug before winking at me. I'm not sure what she meant by that, but for some reason, I had the feeling it was something like asking permission to hug Matt. In any case, it sent my cheeks ablaze.

"You know it", said Raimundo. He clapped Matt on the back, and Kimiko came to retrieve the "kick me" sign. Raimundo's sneakier than an greasy snake when it comes to pranking. Kimiko snapped him out of his laughter with one smack to the back of his head. Despite the constant pranking, Rai seemed to take a liking to Matt. They got along like brothers; albeit noisy, violent, arguing brothers. If you can't call that brotherly, I don't know what brothers are.

"Quite right, Master Fung" piped Omi, bowing. "We are quite fortunate to have you on our side", he said sweetly to Matt.

"Omi really is a nice guy", I thought to myself as Matt gave Omi a smile and rubbed his head. "Just that ego of his makes me forget sometimes." When I thought about Omi's personality, Omi was genuinely one of a kind. I'd never met anyone like him before. In a lifetime, you'd probably meet a computer freak, a prankster, and a cowboy, but Omi took the cake when it came to uniqueness.

"Do any of you have any questions?", asked Master Fung. Nobody answered. "If not, we shall resume training." He led us back to the training grounds through the garden.

"Master Fung, what kind of training are we doing?", asked Omi. "Will it be an obstacle course? Weapons training? Shen Gong Wu mastery? Sparring?" I winced at that last part and sent an apologetic glance to Matt. He still had a bandage from the fight with Chase, and it was painfully reminiscent of the last training session we had.

"No, Omi", replied Master Fung. "Today's training will be elemental control. We're going to be working with Matt and his element." I looked at Matt and he seemed a little shocked, but otherwise excited.

"This shall be _most _interesting", chirped Rai from the back. Obviously, he was doing an impression of Omi because he was on his knees and smiling unnervingly like Omi usually did.

"I agree, Raimundo", said Omi, quite seriously. Kimiko gave Rai a smart jab and he returned to normal height. By the time Raimundo was done complaining, we were already at the training grounds.

"Now Matt, I want you to tell me what you felt when you harnessed your powers for the first time", Master Fung said softly. Matt was deep in thought for a moment, and then he came up with something. His answer came slowly.

"I felt... I felt like I was burning alive. It was like my body was exploding with strength and power. I could feel my heart beat so hard that my chest felt like it was on fire, and that fire spread through my entire body and it felt... good." He stared at his hands for a moment while we took in what he was saying. "The hairs on my arms stood straight up and little sparks flashed across my whole body. It was like every cell of my body was bursting with electricity. " Everyone was silent when Matt spoke. His description was so vivid that we were all in awe of how empowering our powers really were.

"Very good, Matthew", said Master Fung. "And have you learned to control it since?"

Matt nodded, and he lifted his hand. As a demonstration, he let a jolt of electricity spark across his palm and over his fingers. We all jumped at the sight with the exception of Master Fung.

"Woah", said, Raimundo. His eyes widened and I'm sure he was imagining the practical pranking uses for that power.

Omi didn't say anything, but just laughed in wonder and excitement, just like a little kid would. Wait, is Omi a little kid? I've always been under the impression that Omi is older than he seems. (A/N: I've seriously wondered that, so answers would be appreciated. hint hint)

Kimiko and I laughed and smiled at the sight even though it was still a little frightening to watch.

"Well, Matthew, I'm sure you've gone through some training with your powers, so may we see a demonstration?", asked Master Fung. The rest of us were confused. Didn't he just demonstrate enough?

Matt gave a worried look, but he complied and moved away from us. A little ways off from the group, Matt stopped and stood. For a second, I wondered what he was doing until I saw the concentration etched in his brow. What was he up to?

After a couple seconds, sparks began to erupt from Matt's clenched fists, and storm clouds accumulated overhead. Instead of the light gray thunderclouds we were used to, a herd of thick, black clouds overshadowed the temple.

"Matt!", I called, but it was far too late.

"Wudai Jupiter: Lightning!", he called. His voice resounded and echoed across the temple grounds. Omi gasped when he heard that Matt was already a Wudai Warrior. I was a little shocked too, but after the way he handled Chase Young, it wasn't very surprising.

I felt my stomach do every manuever imaginable in my gut when I saw the clouds form a vortex over Matt. From the heart of the vortex, a single bolt of lightning raced down in the blink of an eye.

Matt reached up to receive the electricity and his hand met the flash of light. A split second after it came down, a shock wave hit and rolled outwards from Matt's outstretched hand. Even Master Fung shielded his ears from that one.

As we recovered from the jarring blast, I noticed that Matt looked considerably different.

Sparks raced across his body and they set his shirt on fire. His hair was standing straight up, and it swayed slightly with the jolts that ran across the top of his head. He didn't seem to notice though, and he was literally smoking hot as he sprinted towards us. His feet seemed to barely touch the ground, but when they did ever more sparks rippled across the earth.

"Woah", said Rai after a couple seconds of awe. We all seemed to take that as an appropriate response. Matt was shooting around sparks here and there to create a small show. At first, this was all very impressive, but the sparks were getting to be a little irritating. Seemingly sensing my boredom, Matt stopped with the sparks, and charged up his energy as he approached one of the practice dummies. In his fists and feet, a dazzlingly bright light accumulated.

"Melee Maelstrom: Lightning!", he screamed. With that, a flurry of jabs and kicks sent the dummy into flames. Until then, the rainclouds had been stirring about overhead, but they let down their rain and gusts of wind blew as Matt's power drained slowly. Eventually, his attacks ceased, and he stood there a moment to recuperate.

"I see you have trained already, Matthew. I'm sure you're ready for anything we can throw at you", Master Fung admitted after a moment. "It is curious that your element is lighting, as it is apparently connected to all four the other elements here."

"All four?", I questioned confusedly. It didn't seem very connected to me.

"Yes, Clay. All four", Master Fung answered with a flourish of his arm. He was motioning to the site of the dummy. "When Wind and Water rage", Rai and Omi perked up. "Lightning strikes." This time, Matt stirred slightly. Although, he seemed to exhausted to care at the moment. "And under certain circumstances, Fire is ignited." Kimiko looked up and smiled to Master Fung. I still wasn't getting where he was going until he came to the last part. "However, the only constant is that Lightning is attracted to Earth."

I blushed at that last part. Thinking about our elements, I could see how Matt fit in with us. The only thing was that I couldn't get over the whole Lightning Earth attraction without some embarrassment. I stood there looking at the dummy with raindrops popping against the brim of my hat. It couldn't just be a coincidence.

While I was still musing on the relationships of the elements, the drizzle developed into a heavy downpour, so Master Fung told us to go back to the main temple. The only problem was that two of us weren't going right away. While the others went ahead, I lagged behind to wait for Matt. Seeing how much power he just used I wouldn't be surprised if he needed help walking back to the temple.

When he finally started to make his way towards me, I could see he was exhausted. His eyes weren't shining like they usually were, and his step seemed more deliberate, like an old man's. Without his usual spring, he seemed to shrink into a child. The transformation took me by surprise, and I had to hold back the urge to scoop him up as he passed by me.

"You okay there, Matt?", I asked in a worried tone. Instead of the little nod or "yeah" I expected, he dropped on one knee and gasped. "Matt!"

He just stayed there and breathed heavily. I started to panic, and he still didn't respond.

"Matt?! What's wrong? Do you want me to get Master Fung? What in tarnation's going on here?", I ranted frenziedly. I suddenly stopped as he got up.

"My shirt! This was my favorite shirt!", he said seriously while he clawed at his burnt shirt, or so I thought before he started cracking up with laughter. I was at a loss for words, so I didn't say anything, and just turned and left.

"Clay?", came a baffled cry from where I was a second ago. "Clay, it was just a joke!" Typical. At that moment, I was thinking about how to separate him and Raimundo, they're becoming too much alike, but when he got a taste of his own medicine, I couldn't help but laugh and have pity on him. I turned around and gave him a smile.

"You and Raimundo, I swear. If daddy was here, he'd whip you guys just for a little joke like that", I snorted. Thinking about daddy's whippings, I couldn't help but rub my behind a bit. They stung more than rubbing a bee-sting with lemon juice. I shuddered at the thought.

Matt came up to me and patted me on the back. "Let's just be glad he's _not _here, and we can stop talking about whipping", he said with a sigh. His expression suddenly shifted into a sly grin. "Unless, of course, you want me to get my belt", he joked. I stopped and looked at him as he flashed the buckle of his singed belt. By just looking at him, he didn't seem very threatening, so I felt a chuckle coming on until I turned back and saw the smoking dummy.

"No thank you. I think I've had my fill of whippings for this lifetime", I replied with my hands between us for protection. The sly look didn't leave his face, but he shrugged and continued to the temple.

--

We were soaked by the time we finally made it under the roof of the temple. Matt's already tattered clothes were sagging and falling under the weight of the water (not that I was complaining). Other than that, he looked even more attractive than before. For a second, he looked stunningly similar to a model when he flung back his bangs and the bandage added a little "bad-boy" look, but then the effect wore off when he started stomping and spluttering to get dry.

The sight was so adorable that I couldn't help but give him one of my "Matt" grins.

"Enjoying the show?", he asked me while he tried to blow a sopping lock out of his face. He failed miserably.

"And what if I am?", I replied saucily. Considering his position, I didn't think anything he could do would be too bad. "I don't suppose_ you _could do anything about it, could you partner." It was more of a statement than a question.

"No, I guess not", came his reply. He sighed before continuing "But unfortunately for you, I'm making this show a little more... interactive!" With that, he spun and splattered me with the loose water hanging on his clothes and hair. I pulled of my hat to inspect for damages, and Matt just came up to me and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me get that for you." He did the worst thing possible in his position and decided to ring his sleeve in my hat.

I looked up at him and he had the same sly grin on his face. I locked him with my eyes and muttered, "I think your going to regret that."

"Am I?", he countered. Obviously, he didn't see the gravity of the situation. He _wet _my hat. He's going down faster than a skydiver in concrete shoes.

"Meet me at the training grounds in half an hour", I grumbled as I passed by him. I turned to leave but stopped when I remembered something. "Oh, and be prepared to get dirty."

--

**Sorry, but I don't plan on any lemons if you were thinking about that last part too hard. If your lacking in lemons, then I suggest you go to the farmer's market. I hope you enjoyed this little ditty and please feel free to review if you wish. **


	11. The Match

**Me again. Sorry for the replacement of chapters and such. I just read through them since I hit my tenth and I found grammar, spelling, sequence, and description errors. I hope you don't mind. Well, my last chapter ended in a cliffhanger, so it'll be easier to understand if you read that one first. Despite the "dirty" threat, I'm sorry to announce that I'm not planning any lemons. **

**A big thank you to icebender21 and xXNoIdeaForAPenNameXx. Your reviews are very encouraging and I'm sure I probably wouldn't be writing this right now if it wasn't for you guys. **

_I don't make or own anything from this writing. _

--

Earlier, I could've sworn we were still joking, but after Clay stormed off, I realized that I probably did something really bad. I'm seriously in danger of dying within the hour.

As I walked back to my room, I could only think about how it could've been avoided if I'd just stopped. It seemed harmless though, seeing how his hat was already soaked, but apparently, it was some sort of taboo only _I _didn't know about. How was _I _supposed to know how sensitive he was about his hat?

In my room, I pulled on a pair of old shoes and an athletic shirt. The long-sleeved mesh wouldn't let any mud or water in. My pants were ruined already, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to just leave them on. With a sigh, I left my room and headed for the training grounds.

On my way there, I met Omi. "What's shattering?", he asked me as I passed. I didn't know what he meant, so I just didn't say anything. He followed me, and we turned the corner.

As usual, Raimundo was there to correct him. "I think you mean, 'What's crackin'', Omi", he sighed, coming to the rescue yet again.

"That too!", retorted Omi. He was too busy contemplating the meaning of the slang to notice Kimiko standing in front of him.

"Hey!", came the complaint from Kimiko when Omi crashed into her. "Oh, hi guys", she said when she saw the three of us. "Whatcha up to?"

"I dunno", shrugged Rai. "Do you, Omi?"

"I was following Matt", he replied. He turned to me and asked, "What's the news on the poop?" This time, Raimundo was stumped. Kimiko, who was our second reference, was baffled as well.

"I think you mean, 'What's the haps on the craps?'", I laughed, and the others finally understood the butchered slang. "To answer your question, I'm going to the training grounds to receive some sort of punishment from Clay for messing with his hat." A mutual gasp circulated around the other three.

"Dude... I've done just about everything in terms of pranking, but I've always been scared shit-less of touching Clay's hat", he shuddered at the thought of the consequences. "I mean, unless I had Omi do it for me", he joked. Omi just kept walking while he thought about what Rai meant by that.

"Bad move, Matt", sighed Kim. "Probably would've been better off with the boots, although I'm pretty sure that still would've gotten your butt kicked." She looked down and clucked much like Clay did when I jumped off the roof. Before long, she whipped out her PDA and I assumed she was writing my obituary.

I turned to Omi in the last hope for good news. Unfortunately, he just shook his head and looked down like Kim.

"Wow guys, I feel _loads_ better now", I snorted. It didn't hurt to joke a bit before I met my untimely death.

--

At the training grounds, Clay was waiting for me with crossed arms. He was wearing his usual outfit, a blue collared shirt, bandana, jeans, and to top it all off, the cowboy hat. His sleeves were rolled up, and his shirt unbuttoned a bit. Looks like he's getting ready for something.

Clay looked at the other three. "I don't remember telling you to bring an audience", he growled coldly. When I turned back to see them, they were all cowering behind me. That doesn't look good. He didn't pursue the subject, so they slowly revealed themselves.

"So, what's my sentence?", I asked. Any humor I could've put into the statement was scared out of me. Besides, he didn't seem like he was in the mood to be amused.

"A wrasling match, you and me, right here", he stated as he pointed to a ring full of grass and mud. Funny, I never remember seeing that there. It struck me that I probably made it with all the rainmaker business in the demonstration. It was just like digging my own grave.

I approached the opposite side of the ring, and we stepped in at the same time. He pulled off his shirt revealing a thickly muscled body. His veins didn't bulge like many body builders, but his muscles were still sizable. With a quick motion, he discarded his shirt. On top of it, he gingerly set his hat; the hat that had made this entire mess. I couldn't help but hate that hat.

Up until that point, I'd been wearing a T-shirt over my active gear. After I removed my socks and shoes, I peeled it off and threw it over to Kimiko. She swooned at the sight, and I could hear Raimundo grumbling something as he watched her. I threw an apologetic look to him before turning my attention to myself.

I looked down and I could see every muscle and ripple under the shirt. It was strangely liberating and at the same time awkward to feel naked. Despite his anger, I could see Clay blush a little while he looked at my dress. Before we entered the ring, he was just angry, but now he was angry and horny, a dangerous combination.

"Omi!", Clay called. Omi immediately ran up to us. "You can be referee, but I can't promise that this is going to be clean." For that last part, Clay cracked his knuckles. It was very intimidating considering that Clay was nearly twice my size and weight and also had what seemed like years of wrestling practice. Wrestling practice with pigs no less.

Omi tentatively came to the center of the ring. "Begin!", he yelled before dashing to the sideline behind Raimundo and Kimiko.

My mind was racing during the first seconds of the match. In an instant, I played over fight scenarios and formed plans on how to counter Clay's attacks based on what I've seen before.

I expected Clay to wait for me to attack first like he did before, but this time it looks like he decided to take a more agressive approach. More aggressive as in charging straight at me. Consequently, he shattered all plans I had.

With his shoulder, he ploughed into my waist, knocking the air out of me. As the air whooshed out, I could hear Raimundo and Kimiko hiss and "ooh" in sympathetic pain. Thankfully, Clay backed off for a few seconds. I got up as soon as I could breath again, but the few moments I had spent on the ground served to place chunks of dirt and grass in my hair. It wasn't the most flattering look I had, but it would have to do for the moment.

"Ready? Or should I go call your mama?", asked Clay. He seemed pretty smug at the moment, but I couldn't blame him; the odds were in his favor.

"What are you afraid I'll cry?", I retorted. "Because she's the last person I'd go to."

"Oh yeah, I forgot", answered Clay. "She doesn't give a damn about you anyways." It was true. She abandoned me here, so I doubt she'd care if I was killed, maimed, or otherwise at this point. That didn't mean that that low blow didn't hurt. I looked down for a second and I let a single hot tear roll down my cheek. He's going to regret that one.

My reaction seemed to throw Clay, and I took the opportunity to charge Clay. Unfortunately, I lost all of the advantages my speed gave me so I was forced to brace myself and lock arms with him. As we shoved and twisted, another tear started its path down the side of my face. With my brows furrowed, I steeled myself to win this match. Being the much weaker individual, I used my lower gravity to manipulate his force. His years of pig wrestling didn't fail him, and he just broke our lock and deftly grabbed under my arms.

I was in a bad position, and I didn't have much time to act. While he heaved, I put him in a headlock, but it was broken easily as he flipped me over his shoulder into the mud. With him on top of me, I began to sink farther than I had before. When I kicked downwards, I felt the bottom half a foot down. The realization dawned on me that having him on top of me could literally kill me.

While I fell farther, I clawed and pushed on Clay in an attempt to avoid suffocation. Luckily, he moved to grab my leg, and I kneed him off of me. However, he ripped off my shirt in the process leaving me with shreds swaying at my waist.

Normally, I would head spring up, but I was forced to wallow for a second before I could make it up into a standing position. The next thing I knew, Clay was back on the offensive. He came up to me pretty quickly and tried to reach around my left side. With his right hand reaching over me, I spun around so that I had my back to him.

I felt a thrill as his stomach rubbed against my back. For a second, his arms wrapped around me gently before he tried prying me off of his arm. I took that moment to flip him over my shoulder. In the split second while he was on my back, I could almost swear I felt something hard inside his jeans slide against my back too. I wasn't thinking about it too hard at the moment.

With him on the floor in front of me, I put him in a mount and pinned his right hand with my knee. The other hand I put in a figure-four lock, but he wasn't giving up easily; his torso and legs bucked and squirmed, lifting me off the ground more than once. When he pushed me off te other arm and began slipping from my lock, I rolled with the shove and twisted into an arm bar. There was no way he was prying out of this lock. I flexed and tightened, making him hiss in pain. Suddenly, I was turned over so that my face was in the mud. I held the lock as long as I could until my grip slackened on its own and my lungs felt like they were crumpling.

I gasped for air at the surface and I noticed something. Or rather, I didn't. Where's Clay? As soon as the thought hit me, so did he. From behind, he flipped me over and kneed me in the stomach before grabbing me and pinning me down. The pain left a metallic taste in my mouth and made me see orange even though my eyes were still closed. It slowly subsided as the cool mud engulfed me.

Under the surface, I couldn't see, breath, or hear, but what I felt was a whole lot of Texan on top of me. After a moment of struggling, I decided it wouldn't be the best thing I could do to continue the match, so I tried tapping out. The act took a lot more effort than I thought. The mud sucked my limbs down, and I could barely muster the strength to push up to the surface. I tried to reach Clay and tap, but I couldn't reach that far with the mud weighing me down, so I settled with making a couple wet smacking noises with the mud.

There was no response for a moment and I started to flail around. My situation became more urgent as I sent a couple bubbles of air up, so I collected my thoughts and relaxed. There was no use in using up all of my oxygen while I'm down here. Right after I stopped, I felt a small hand grasp mine and heave while Clay's considerable bulk lifted itself off of me. My head finally reached the surface and I saw Omi sinking into the ground while he tried desperately to lift me out. Clay on the other hand stared at me with a face that looked like he'd just seen a ghost.

When he still didn't move, I was a little angry. "Oh, don't worry, I'm fine", I spat at him after I spat out a wad of mud. The acid and sarcasm was so thick I could almost feel it oozing off the words into the mud. A shameful look passed over his face before he hefted both Omi and me out. Omi scurried away while I could do nothing except plop back down with the weight of the mud still one me. I started to undress and I used my pants and what was left of my shirt to wipe off most of the mud from my body. However, I left myself half naked in the process. I saw Clay looking me over so I quickly collected my shoes and shirt on my way back to the temple.

--

At the temple, I hosed myself off to get off most of the mud before I got into the shower. When the warm water hit my body, I felt as if my body was rejoicing its cleanliness. With the match finally over, I thought about what just happened. Seeing as Clay had claimed he "really liked" me, that hat must be pretty important. I sighed and decided to accept the fact that Clay's hat was staying. Frankly, I prefer him with the hat. It makes him seem more complete.

After I concluded with that matter, I remembered what Clay said during the match. My only thought to that was, "ouch." I knew that what he said held some truth, but I told him that in confidence. The fact that he would pull that against me was hurtful. I knew it was just because he was mad, but it didn't make the pain lessen any.

I moved my face into the stream of water. The hot droplets fell like beads of warmth across my cheeks (face cheeks). The feeling of the stream run over my body sent prickles of pleasure down my entire body. And yet... I felt an emptiness inside. It felt as if a chunk of my heart had been stolen. Clay. His face came to me immediately at the thought of heart stealing. It was then that I remembered the kiss and the laughter. I remembered why I loved him and how much I did. I also remember my best friend from long ago.

_Chris and I sat on the balcony of his apartment. It was probably the most luxurious place I'd stayed in my entire life. Chris was also the best friend I ever had. I was ten at the time, but and he was in his forties. Formally, he was known as Mr.McCormick, but he let me address him by his first name. My parents had been friends with him and he and his wife agreed to let me stay for a month or two. Recently, however, he and his wife had grown apart until she filed a divorce. He cried for hours at a time. Finally, it came to the point where he could take it no longer. _

_"Matt", Chris whispered, catching my attention. "Let met tell you something." I scooted in closer to let him know I was listening. _

_"I'm sure you recall what happened with my wife, and..." his voice grew a little gruff and raspy there. "I just want you to know something." _

_"What is it?", I asked him. I didn't want to push him to tell me. He seemed a little shaken from the effort._

_"You should know, my friend, that people are very contrary creatures", he continued with a small smile. "Sometimes, when it comes to matters of the heart, our needs are often different from what we get." I was a little confused at the time, but he explained it to me more simply. "You see, sometimes when we deserve someones loves the least is the time where we need it the most." His tears were streaming from his eyes by now, and they fell on the top of my head as he pulled me into a long, tight hug. Suddenly, he let go, and as I looked up, he jumped over the railing of the balcony. _

_"Chris!", I yelled at his falling figure. It took mere seconds for him to fall twenty six floors, and I heard a thud and shrieks as I huddled in the corner bawling. _

Presently, my tears were lost in the flow of the shower's jets. Instead of huddling in a corner, I looked up and smiled in Chris's memory. He was and still is the best friend I ever had. His son and I had met at his funeral and as it turns out, they're very similar. Naturally, we became friends and are still in touch occasionally.

Thinking of the past. Being here at the temple. All of it made me feel so far away from everything I'd once known. Its seclusion only emphasized our isolation from the world. If I didn't have the others, I'd be far beyond insane.

With the thought of friends in my head, my day suddenly seemed to brighten even though it was near evening.

--

**Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it's late, I need sleep, and the chapter would be way too long if I got anything else of worth in. I hope you enjoyed it though, so please feel free to read and review. **


	12. Apologies

**I started this chapter within an hour or two of updating the last one. I'm a little skeptical of how this'll work out, but I hope you like it nonetheless. Thank you for the encouragement icebender22, it is much appreciated.  
**

_I don't own or make anything from this story. _

--

I can't believe I just did that. My regrets started when I saw Matt cry. When the tears started flowing, I realized that it was the first time I've ever seen his feelings hurt. His entire face was contorted into a sad shape. The worst part was knowing that I caused it. I was causing this pain.

The sadness turned into rage and if I hadn't been wrestling for my entire life, I'm sure I would've been in a bad position. He just wouldn't give up and when I was in the arm-bar, I felt the same rage overtake me like it did in our first sparring section. This time, I didn't muscle it out, but I flipped his face over into the mud. Eventually, it payed off with him letting go, and I slipped out as soon as he was off. I waited until he got his face out of the mud to flip him over, knee him, and pin him down.

I felt him claw and struggle under me and I grunted for Omi to come over. He started to tap out, but I couldn't get up out of the mud. Omi helped me up partway, but Matt just stopped moving. Until then, I wasn't thinking about getting Matt out, but when he just laid there, I felt as if my blood was replaced with ice. It seemed like an eternity as Omi desperately tugged at his hand. As the chilling horror filled my veins, I was glued to the spot.

He finally emerged and was practically encased in mud. When he saw me just standing there, he called, "Oh, don't worry. I'm fine." Frankly, I was just glad he was fine, but when I realized he and Omi had a very good chance of getting sucked back in, I bent over and hauled them both out.

Matt started to wipe off the mud, but he was undressing in the process. Omi didn't seem to notice because he was too busy making his way back to the others without getting sucked in. I blushed a little when Matt was left in his boxers, but I still couldn't help but look him over once... or twice. He noticed me, so I turned and looked away to think of something to say.

"Matt...", I started, but my words were lost because he was halfway down the path back to the temple already.

--

Going back to the temple was one of the hardest things I've ever done. My frustration was pretty clear so the others didn't follow me back through the garden. How could you face the one you love after you nearly killed him?

When I reached my room, I took a towel, a change of clothes, and some slippers that I decided to wait to put on. Seeing the mud squeeze out of my toes I thought it wouldn't be the best idea to put clean feet in there. I was going to look for Matt, so on my way, I just thought of how I could start this extremely difficult conversation.

I figured Matt would be in the showers, so I started there. I took the towel and clothes for an excuse if he was reluctant to see me, but they were entirely empty. It's a wonder it didn't take him longer to shower considering I probably got mud in places where the sun don't shine. Oh well. No need to waste this trip to the shower. I wasn't nearly as muddy as Matt, so I just went outside to give my feet a quick rinse before I ran back to the showers. The frigid water against my bare skin made me realize just how cold it was today. With the rain gone, the temperature had dropped what seemed like twenty degrees.

While I started undressing, I thought of what Matt thought of me now. He probably doesn't want anything to do with me after I nearly killed him over my stupid cowboy pride. But a cowboy's got to have some sense of honor, right? The situation was so flustering that I nearly threw my hat down. It was halfway down and off of my head before I realized that this hat was what caused all of this. I was seriously considering getting rid of the hat when I took into account all of the trouble it caused. Maybe I'll just have to give the hat a break.

--

I headed back to my room after I showered and changed. Instead of my usual getup, I used a more relaxed outfit in case I saw Matt. It was just a plain T-shirt and jeans. This time without the hat. I figured it would improve the relations a bit if the offending hat was not present.

In front of Matt's room, I stopped to knock. I was about to knock on the curtain, but then I remembered there were no doors, so I just rapped the side of the doorway with my knuckle. I left the spur of my wrist on the archway so that I could lean on it.

"Matt?", I called. There was no answer. "You there?" Still no answer. The way I figured, it would be in my best interest to just stay out of the room. If he was in there, he'd probably fry me... literally. If he wasn't, I wouldn't want him to come back and to catch me snooping; in which case I would also get fried.

With a gulp I realized that I'll probably be walking on eggshells with Matt for a while. It'll be worth it if he forgives me eventually. My next sigh was the kind you would hear from an inmate resigning himself to five years in prison. He knew he'd get out eventually, but it didn't make five years any shorter.

"Well, Matt. If you're in there, I want you to know that I'm really sorry about what happened today" I sighed. My voice grew smaller and I rested my head against my fist. "Please forgive me." When there was still no answer, I just left for the kitchen. Rai, Kim, and Omi often told me of an observation they made. Apparently, whenever I'm angry or upset, I was in the kitchen. According to Raimundo, it's difficult to tell whether or not I'm upset because I'm in the kitchen anyways.

By the time I got there, I'd replayed today's events over so many times in my head that I'm pretty sure that my knuckles brushed against the floor occasionally. I was totally unprepared to find anyone in there, much less Matt. He was sitting with his back to me eating something that I could smell from here. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it smelled strangely like home, which was strange because I don't remember eating anything that didn't have something to do with rice.

Before I did anything drastic, I looked around. At first, it didn't look like he cooked anything because there were no dishes in the sink. I suppose the cleanup came directly after the cooking. I was actually surprised to see it clean.

Whenever one of us uses the dishes, it's normally just left there for a good couple of hours before the person with dish duty comes in during the night after training to clean them. It really is a pain in the behind to have all those dishes late at night, but I haven't had my turn in a while. Come to think of it, my turn would've been yesterday, but since Matt came... Oops, I guess somebody did my dishes.

Knowing the others, they probably would've done them to get on my good side while I was fussing over the hat, but they were behind me when we came back. That left only Matt and the monks. I was thinking of who was more likely to do the dishes, but seeing Matt in here made my choice a good deal easier.

I really did appreciate the gesture if it was meant as an apology, but at the moment, I wasn't feeling too good to start with so any apologies from Matt might just make me sink another inch or two.

He still didn't notice me, so I started to walk towards him. My heart beat quickened in anticipation for the moments to come, so I made it halfway there without getting his attention. I decided to clear my throat when I was fairly close, and he jumped from his food after I coughed lightly.

"Oh. Hi, Clay", he murmured while he avoided eye contact. "If you want me to leave...", he started, already halfway up with his plate. I saw that he was eating mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, and chicken with a whole lot of corn bread and gravy. Comfort food. I almost smiled when I saw it. It's been months since I've even whiffed any of that good stuff.

"No, no, Matt. By all means, stay", I responded with waving hands. My own voice sounded alien when I talked to Matt, a sensation I'd never experienced before. He was usually so easy to talk to that now with the awkward tension I could barely bring myself to hold a casual two sentence conversation with him.

It seemed as though neither of us were mad, so I decided to press my luck. "Can I join you?", I ventured.

It didn't look like he was thrilled, but at least he accepted. "Of course, Clay", he answered warmly.

"At least he was trying to be nice", I thought. It was much more than I expected from him, but it just made me see what I really liked about Matt from a strangers perspective. The events that had transpired today had taken us back a step or two temporarily, so we were basically back to being awkward around one another like strangers. Considering the circumstances, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly Matt recovered from that blow to our friendship.

By the time I snapped out of my musings, a heaping plate of steaming food was set before me. I looked at Matt who's plate was considerably smaller. He seemed to be eating it, but with much more fuss and picking than necessary. I, on the other hand, just tucked in and savored the good cooking. It wasn't quite like Ma's but it was delicious nonetheless.

"Did you cook this?", I asked him. He didn't seem up to talking so he just nodded with a quick glance up at me with those chocolaty brown eyes. It was a little unnerving that he still couldn't look me in the eye. "I wish I knew how to cook", I trailed off after a couple minutes of silence.

After a moment or two, he answered my comment. "When you travel alot, it pays to know how to cook", he mumbled softly. His voice had a dreamy quality like he did this morning when he told me about his parents. It was a pleasant sound, and I could almost feel the rumbling of his chest on mine. The phantom sensation sent tingles down my entire body. I realized that I stopped eating, and then I noticed Matt looking up at me.

"I suppose you learned how to cook this somewhere down south", I commented to fill the awkward silence. It was more of a statement than a comment, but it was enough to keep the conversation going.

"I actually learned how to cook like this from my neighbors in Texas", he answered. When I stole a glance at him, a small grin had crept up onto his lips. "I used to sit in my neighbors' kitchen for hours while my parents were away. They couldn't take me with them most of the time because of their jobs and clients, but I always got something when the came back." His smile opened and revealed his teeth for a second.

"Well, while they were off doing business meetings and whatnot, I would stay and watch my neighbor's grandma cook. She was a big woman, and very intimidating at times, but she was kind when she needed to be and firm when the situation called for it." That last bit made his eyes crinkle with laughter. I'm sure there were many more memories that included her, but this wasn't the time for interrogation.

"So anyways, she would see me there and tell me, 'Come help me peel these 'taters. No use in a young'en jus' sittin' there all day. 'T'isn't good fer ethics.'" Matt was waving a finger just like Ma used to when she scolded Jessie and me. "God knows I didn't refuse. Like her son-in-law used to say after a good tongue lashing, 'Hell hath no fury like a Texan woman.'" This time, I could relate to that. Thinking of Ma and Jessie was enough. Imagining the rest of the female population would place any man in danger of soiling himself. We laughed at his story, and many of my own memories were revived at the thought of Texas.

The moment soon wore off though, and we were back to the awkward silence. Luckily, I still had my food to turn to, but it was just a matter of time before it ran out and we had to talk. When I did finish, my cheeks started to flush. However, Matt foresaw the talk coming so he just took our plates and started cleaning.

"Matt, don't do that", I pleaded a little ashamed. He seemed to be waiting for something, so I said, "It's my dish day anyways." He turned to me while he shut off the water. My words didn't matter much because he just pulled out the pair of dishes and dried them. "Dang, that was fast!", I thought to myself. My surprise was overwhelmed by a flood of different emotions when I started my apology.

"Listen. Matt...", I started tentatively. He just gave me that dreamy stare that he did. I knew I had his full attention though, so I would have to make the best of this moment. "About what I said before, I didn't mean it." He still looked confused. "I don't know anything about your home life, so who am I to tell you that your parents don't love you?"

His dreamy stare darkened a bit as his head tilted forward. "But it's true", came his soft reply. My heart dropped as I saw another tear fall. It was like reliving the entire moment from mere hours before. This time around, there was no anger to hide his pain in, and he just began to sob like a little kid would. I won't let it just slip by.

"Don't ever think that", I mumbled. My voice grew stronger as my words flowed out. "Don't ever think that you're not loved, Matt." I cupped his chin with my hand. "Even if your parents don't love you; Kimiko, Rai, Omi, Me: we all love you." I brought him a little closer. "You're our friend, and I don't give a hoot who tries, no one can take that away from you!"

I pulled him so close that I could see my reflection in his eyes. "We all love you, Matt", he wasn't resisting, but his eyes told me he didn't believe me. "_I_ love you." Moments passed and neither of us dared to speak and break the magic.

After what seemed like an eternity, Matt slowly gave an answer to my passionate speech. "I...I love you too, Clay", he said softly. Up until that point, I'd been holding his arms, but I let him slip them out and lace his fingers behind my neck. I leaned forward and draped my arms around him. While I was hunching over, he rested his neck on my shoulder, so I could feel a deep vibration as he asked me, "Clay?"

"Mm-hm?", I responded, too busy hugging him to speak. He laughed at that and he shook against my chest and belly.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." He squeezed me tighter in his thanks. He started to loosen up, and I reluctantly let him go. I looked around, and I just realized that I had no work to do anymore thanks to Matt.

"No, thank_ you_", I responded with a small laugh. "Now we might actually get to spend some time now that I don't have dishes." At the mention of spending time together, Matt started to blush. He waved off the thanks and started to walk off aimlessly before he jumped back to my side.

"Forgotten where we're going, have we?", I joked at him. I smiled and his blush deepened. "You're an odd feller, Matt, but a lovable little feller too." His brows furrowed and his eyes squinted in embarrassment. It was so adorable that I couldn't help but pinch his cheeks.

"Hey! What was that?", he hollered in his indignation. The transformation from mere seconds before was one of the most startling things I've ever experienced. I'm pretty sure it could also be comparable to the time I was stuck a ring with one of Daddy's bulls.

The cheek pinching was pretty demeaning when I thought about it, but totally worth the scolding from Matt. "I don't remember becoming a baby in the last few minutes. Is that what I am to you?" I was about to comment on that until I saw his very Ma-like posture. His hands were on his hips and his mouth was drawn into a thin line.

Before I could do anything, he left in a huff. It was astounding how volatile his emotions were. Within the span of half an hour, he's gone from sorry, to sad, to happy, to loving, to embarrassed, and then he started hollering at me like a banshee.

I kept up behind him for a while and I started watching him a bit closer than I did before. His hair seemed to ripple and wave in endless patterns of neatness and disarray as he walked. It was nearly as mesmerizing as his gait. While he walked, his body would sway rhythmically. His feet on the other hand, would keep a steady beat sometimes, but then change erratically at others. Predicting how Matt would walk at a given moment would be like predicting where lightning strikes. Oddly, it seemed like he was dragging his feet on the ground. As soon as my eyes started to drift down the lower back, I quickened to catch up with him.

"C'mon, Matt, it was just a little pinch on the cheek", I pleaded with him. He didn't seem satisfied. "At least it was the face cheek", I pointed out. A small smile got the better of Matt, but he didn't seem like he was going to stop anytime soon. Luckily for me, he entered my room. Considering I was dealing with the future dragon of lightning, I didn't see any sense in barging into the room after him. Instead, I did what I did the last time I visited his room.

"Matt?", I called. I waited a second.

"Yes?", he answered rather playfully. That one warranted a double-take. Wasn't he just angrier than Kim in a kimono a second ago? "You can come in. It's your room after all." I carefully parted the curtain to find Matt in my hat and a bandanna. "Whattaya think?", he joked with a very convincing southern accent. Considering he was this small Asian guy, it was a little odd to hear a southern voice come out of his mouth.

"Put 'er there", he said extending a hand. Suddenly, a strong jolt of static electricity jumped from his hand to mine. That's probably what the foot dragging was for. If only I was wearing my gloves.

"...Wow", was my only response. It was the only thing I could think to say at the moment without sounding like a total jerk or an idiot. I was still rubbing my hand when he continued.

"'Wow'? That's all you can say to a fellow cowboy?", he joked playfully. That was pushing it a little too far.

"Now wait one second, Matt", I began. "The hat and bandanna don't make the cowboy." I paused for a moment to think of how to test his cowboy status. "Let's see your roping" I crossed the room and threw him a rope from my chest. I didn't really expect him to try, but apparently, I underestimated him because he was out the room in a matter of seconds.

I followed him outside to see what exactly he planned to do. The rope I gave him was made for trick-roping. It was held together with a piece of copper wire, so it wasn't the best thing for Matt to be swinging around himself, especially considering he still had a little juice from what I'd experienced.

"So...", Matt started without the accent this time. He was so concentrated that you could barely see the space between his eyebrows. Pursing his lips, he started to spin the rope. Surprisingly, it kept its loop. He kept it in front of him for a while as he looked at me smugly. I had the feeling he'd done this before. The standing loop soon progressed into Matt jumping in and out of the sustained hole. However, he lost his focus and he made made a small mistake. He stepped on the rope, and it coiled around him like a snake.

The sight of Matt tied up there on the floor was so funny that I had to run inside my room and get my camera. By the time I took the picture, Matt had just given up trying to escape and moped there. I knelt down to his level and I started to talk to him.

"You know, a real cowboy doesn't get caught in his own rope", I chuckled as I reclaimed my hat. Once it was back in its rightful place, I saw that Matt obviously wasn't amused by that comment. While I was busy laughing at his expense, I didn't see the offshoot of electricity he sent hook around and catch me on the behind.

"Youch!", I yelped as soon as I registered the shock. I looked at Matt, and he just had the same smug look on his face from before. I guess he didn't learn his lesson. "Ah, well", I thought to myself. "One of these days he'll learn. You'll see, Clay", I told myself (yes, Clay refers to himself in the third person in his own thoughts).

"You gonna let me out now?", came the question from below. I looked down at Matt and as soon as he saw me looking, he pulled out the puppy-dog eyes. No way I was going to say no to that, so out he came.

As he was getting up, I just crossed my arms and tapped my foot. "You're never going to learn your lesson, are you?", I sighed. I didn't even bother elaborating because it was doubtless he knew.

"Most probably", came his reply. I just watched as he hopped up from the ropes. Other than a lose hair here and there, I couldn't tell anything happened. The fact that he was beaming also helped to hide his earlier embarrassment.

"Wow", I thought to myself. "His emotions change faster than cowboy in a sundress." I did my best not to let that show on my face though, so I just tilted my hat and gave him as stern a look as I could muster. It was difficult to maintain since Matt was too busy fidgeting and just had to yawn in front of me. He always looked so cuddly when he scratched his head like that.

"Clay", he chirped, rousing me from my pondering. I looked up and saw his eyes drooping.

"Yes?", I cooed. If I were to speak honestly, he looked almost dead tired: his arms drooped, his shoulders drooped, even his hair seemed lank and less springy than usual.

"I think I'm going to go to bed", he stated. The way he said it sounded like he was asking permission. Of course, I wouldn't say no, so I shooed him off to bed.

When we turned the corner and came to Matt's room, he looked up at me and gave me a quick, "goodnight". I reciprocated, and I was rewarded with a goodnight kiss on the cheek.

At first, I was frozen on the spot, but then I looked around to see if anyone saw. It seemed as though nobody was there, so I just relaxed and gave Matt a kiss back. When my lips brushed his cheek, he squirmed and giggled. It was almost too cute, so I could only release some of my growing tension by pulling him into a bear hug. After I was done, I put him down and parted the curtain for him. He stepped in and turned around.

This time, I was beaming, and Matt was just yawning from exhaustion. He saw the look on my face and took my camera. That smile was preserved on film right next to Matt all tied up (yes, Clay doesn't have a digital camera).

"I'll see you tomorrow", he whispered to me after he handed back the camera. In response, I nodded, but before I could let go of the curtain, there was one more thing. When Matt saw that I wasn't leaving, he asked me, "Are you waiting for something?"

I didn't see how I could word this, so I just stepped forward and laid my lips on his. Mine took his, and I marveled at how soft and warm they were as I put a little pressure into the kiss. When Matt put his hand on my shoulder, I pulled back. My mouth had that same tangy aftertaste as before. This ignited another set of stirring emotions.

"What's that taste, Matt?", I pleaded with him. "It's been driving me crazy." I was ready to go on my knees if need be. That flavor would haunt me for years to come if I didn't get an answer.

"Oh that?", he answered with very little interest. I just watched as he fumbled around his pockets for a bit. Eventually, he emerged with a small container of what appeared to be breath mints. He popped an orange mint into his mouth and held out the container to me. I accepted it and he dropped a single mint onto my palm. When I bit into it, the same tangy flavor exploded in my mouth.

"Oh...", I trailed off as I tasted the mint. I was really hoping for something a little more mystical and exciting to be the cause of such a tang. Matt obviously wasn't waiting on my thoughts, so he began to step back into his room.

"What? That's it?", I joked with him. I shifted my weight so that I was leaning my forearm against the doorway. "Just one kiss for a cowboy?" I was only kidding and I didn't expect him to come back out, but he returned within kissing range and then made a movement up to my lips. His enthusiasm surprised me, and I was really getting into the kiss until I noticed a slight twinge in my face.

This time, I pulled away from the kiss, but when I broke contact with Matt, yet another tendril of static lingered between us.

"Son of a ...!", I screamed out from the shock. The moment wore off and I was almost angry at Matt again, but he just yawned and smiled blissfully. "Whatever", I thought to myself as I watched him teeter slightly. I'll let it go _this _time.

"Matt, maybe you should get some rest now", I urged. I nudged him towards his bed and he made no objections. With him like this, I couldn't just leave, so I helped him to bed and then tucked him in so that the cold wouldn't get to him. It didn't seem to be enough, so I ran back to my room and brought one of my quilts to lay over the top of him. With that out of the way, I could sleep soundly.

I got back to my room and laid down before I peeled off the T-shirt and jeans. I threw them and they landed spread out on top of my chest.

In one day, everything with Matt seemed to be great, then go wrong and fix themselves all in an instant. Now that I thought about it, that instant took the entire day to unravel and mend the problems. Today was a veritable roller-coaster of emotions. I don't know if I could take that every day; the very prospect made my stomach churn uncomfortably.

The burning rage from the match, the sickening guilt from hurting Matt, the heart-wrenching apologies: all of them made me feel so low and burdened. And yet, the kisses, the laughs, the jokes: they made this relationship worth pursuing. They made my stay here so much more bearable even when I'm on the other side of the world. They made my heart sing even after it was just crushed.

These were the good times, and I know that I would treasure them for the rest of my life. I couldn't help but smile with the joy and happiness that radiated from deep within my chest.

All of these emotions and thoughts: they all seemed to find there way back to one person; Matt. We may have our kinks and shocks here and there, but I think I'm going in for the long-haul with this one.

--

**Wow, this was one long chapter. I hope it didn't bore you out of your minds reading it. I'll try to make my next one a little more fun. No promises though . So, read and review if you'd like. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. **


	13. The Dream

**Thank you for at least beginning to read this chapter. I want to thank icebender22 and xXNoIdeaForAPenNameXx again, because you seem to be the only person who actually reads my work. Again, your support is very appreciated. I'm gonna start this one up with a little bit of narration.  
**

--

After Clay tucked him in, Matt was a little uneasy. Much like a child, he took the Staff of Jupiter to bed with him; a comfort object. This relic seemed to speak to his very being. It forged a connection with the future dragon beyond that of any other Shen Gong Wu. With it, Matt was satisfied to go to bed.

As seconds ticked by, Matt was completely and utterly relaxed. Seconds became minutes, and he still couldn't bring himself to calm his thoughts enough to sleep. When those minutes turned into an hour, he fell unconscious from sheer exhaustion caused by the torrent of ideas that was his thoughts.

Unlike a regular night, this one had come after a day of great mental and emotional anguish, despite it's pleasant beginning. This set Matt up for a rather jarring night.

**Matt's POV**

Sleep came but only after an excruciatingly long wait. When it finally arrived, my entire consciousness was emptied, only to be replaced by pure nothingness. That is, until my dreams overtook me.

_Total emptiness filled my mind, a relaxing backdrop for the events to come. Slowly, the blackness was replaced with a haze. It rolled like a heatwave in all directions, and I couldn't distinguish anything in the blur. However, after a moment, the confusion settled to reveal the temple. Unlike the real temple, this version was totally monochromatic, giving it a very artsy feel.  
_

_I started walking towards the entrance, and I could barely feel my feet touch the ground. Testing it out, I pushed off rather hard, and I flipped lazily over the temple wall. I saw myself corkscrew into the gardens only to right myself with a flourish of my arms. _

_Instead of the usual garden plants, a small shop was placed in the center of the temple grounds. __As soon as I set foot in the threshold of the shop, I was barraged by a multitude of colors. __I entered the shop and found that I was in a wholesale store. Despite it's rather compact exterior, the store stretched on much farther than it had any right to. The walls were lined with shelves of various items ranging from patio tables to polka-dotted elephants. I was curious as to why the store was completely empty and decided to investigate.  
_

_Passing the elephants, I made my way to the back of the store which seemed to be a sporting goods section. Between a pair of flamingos, a single row opened up. I eyed the large birds warily and darted through just as they went for my legs. _

_After the rather unpleasant welcome with the flamingos, the room opened up to reveal a high-ceilinged room. It was so high that I got dizzy trying to look up there. When my head started spinning, the walls started to bend and twist, worsening my disorientation. I eventually calmed down, but the walls kept swaying, only more rhythmically. The scene was almost hypnotic when I looked up at the bright white ceiling._

_ While the twisting grew more violent, the items on the wall began to rattle. The walls that were laden with objects just spewed them across one another, but none of them seemed to ever reach the ground. When a large door hit me, I just held onto it and the floor began twisting with everything else. Eventually it got so fast that I closed my eyes, but when I opened them next, the room was replaced by a lake. _

_I was on a small island totally surrounded by a large lake, and I had no clothes apart from a bathing suit. Next to me was the door I was holding seconds earlier. Taking the hint, I paddled out into the lake on top of the door before I lost my balance and fell into the water. Surprisingly, it was very warm and cozy in there, but at the same time almost surreal. I couldn't feel any wetness, but I just felt a warmth surround me. Everything else about me was effected by it; my hair and trunks just seemed to ebb and flow with the rest of the lake. I tried swimming through the water and I found that I could breath underneath the surface. _

_As I let the current take me, I flipped and corkscrewed effortlessly through the water. Near the bottom of the lake, I found schools of fish in all different colors. They swam around me at dizzying speeds as I glided through the water. At one point, they seemed to form a sort of tunnel that I swam through. When I got to one end, I saw it was like a funnel, so I turned around only to be met with a huge change in pressure. The water was now heavy across my body and my rib cage felt as if it was going to cave in. As I struggled frantically against the current of the vortex, I just felt a hideous bending and stretching as my body was surrendered to the other side of the funnel. _

_Inside the darkness of the other side, I found myself fumbling around a cold stone floor. After a quick bodily inspection I found that I was completely dry, but this time I was in only my pajama clothes. Out of nowhere a faint red glow appeared in the corner of my eye. I quickly spun around on my bare feet to face any kind of danger. The glow turned out to be a pair of eyes. Slowly, a light started to shine underneath them to reveal the very dark form of Chase Young. _

_"So we meet again, Young Monk", he said as he stepped closer to me. A single circle of light followed him, illuminating every detail of his person from below. It slowly grew a very sickly purple color while another appeared underneath me. This one became a very bright gold. Our circles grew larger and _  
eventually, they stretched as far as the eye could see, meeting and clashing at a line between us.

_I wasn't as menacing as Chase seeing as I was still in pajama pants and a wife-beater, but that thought was far from my mind (even though this was my dream.) Our lights seemed to be evenly matched until Chases began to push mine back. In response to that, I tried pouring my power into my light, but I found that the more I fought, the stronger he seemed to get. It got to the point where I became an island in a sea of purple. The purple soon deteriorated into black and the last slivers of my light dried up like someone turned off the faucet._

_ The last drop of light moved itself to face me horizontally and it slowly waxed until a sheet of dull gray stretched in all directions. Like a projection, the gray backdrop shook and revealed a picture. It took me a while to recognize the picture, but I finally realized where this was. I was overlooking a balcony where two figures sat in the shadows. The larger one was letting go, and he swiftly toppled over the edge of the railing._

_In my horror, I tried to turn away, but every where I turned the projection swiveled with me. When I tried closing my eyes, the image appeared inside my eyelids as well. Knowing I couldn't escape, I had to just sit back and watch in slow motion as my old friend plummeted to his death._

_"Chris, wait!", I screamed. He seemed to be falling forever, and the projection caught an aerial view of his descent. I screamed as he fell, and my words were soon lost and replaced with unintelligible yells and whimpers. When it was finally over, I was reduced to sobs. The only sound that I could make out was the muffled echo of my sadness until a chuckle teased my ear. _

_Chase Young appeared next to me, and when he clicked his fingers, the scene replayed itself. By now, I was far beyond angry. Anger, sadness, indignation; they all mixed together to form this abomination that I couldn't even describe. It pushed me over the limit and I summoned all of the power I could and released straight into Chase's heart. Any normal person would have enough juice to cause multiple heart failures, but Chase simply laughed off the jolt. He barely flinched as another one seared across the chest-plate of his armor. _

_Every single shock I sent was absorbed or deflected. My power was draining, and with it my anger. Neither of them had any effect on the screaming though. Throughout my attempts at fighting Chase, I screamed myself hoarse. When I finally gave up on Chase, I knelt and cried just from pure lack of energy. If I could, I would've gone on forever, but everything I had was gone; drained from every single fiber of my mental being. _

_I watched as Chris fell again and again as Chase just sat by and watched my total helplessness. After what seemed like an eternity, Chase bent down and grabbed me by my arms. I struggled in his grip, but it was no use, I'd reached my limit. He leaned in closer until I could feel his breath swish against my face. _

_I waited for him to say something, and when he finally did, he only said one thing; "Matt". His voice was ice cold, but after a couple repetitions, it grew into a familiar voice._

"Matt?"

When I pried my eyes open, I saw Clay looming over me, mere inches away from my face. His hanging bangs were out of the way and I could see the deep worry that settled in his big blue eyes. I looked down and he was kneeling at my side and my blankets were wrapped tightly against my legs. They slipped out easily though because of the cold sweat that left a sheen of perspiration over every inch of my body. My teeth were chattering from the cold air hitting my skin.

"Matt, are you alright?", was Clay's question. He still hadn't let go of me and his eyes never left mine. When I tried to get up, he put a hand behind my back and supported me. I rubbed my eyes to clear them of some of the many tears I shed in my sleep. The combination of the tears and sweat soaked my pillow to the point where it was difficult to lift. Clay just threw it over to the side of my room and took the spare I kept on a nearby chair.

"I don't know", I replied watching him fluff up the pillow where the other one was. I couldn't think of what else to say, but that was probably the most truthful answer I could give. I could still feel Chase's soul-piercing stare on me, and the rest of the dream was as vivid as if I'd just walked through the flamingos.

Looking down at my hands, they were singed from all of the electricity that I was charging. Not only that, but they were clutching the staff so tightly that my knuckles were jutting out with a sickly pale hue. The staff on the other hand was still buzzing a little from all of the juice I gave it during my dream.

All of that effort, my power, my emotions: they meant nothing then. I was totally helpless. The feeling was almost as horrible as seeing Chris die again. I shuddered and shook like a leaf when I remembered what transpired in my dreams. Clay just held me close as pitiful sobs released themselves. I cried so hard that I was convinced that my ribcage would crack open, but Clay's warmth and caring acted like an anchor in the torrent of emotions.

"Shh, shh" cooed Clay, just like he did before. I vaguely remember him saying something like that after our sparring match. "It's alright, Matt. I'm here", the very obvious statement was surprisingly calming. Little by little, Clay soothed away my tears. Every word he whispered to me was accompanied by a kiss and a squeeze.

When I finally calmed down, he started to loosen his hold on me. I clutched tightly to the straps of his undershirt. Looking up into his eyes, I pleaded, "Clay, please don't leave me." The tears threatened to reemerge and had already coated my glistening eyes. For a second, he turned away and I was about to say something when he turned back with a towel. The soft terrycloth rubbing against my forehead was enough to silence any protests. He gave me a blank stare for a moment before he picked me up and tucked us both into my bed.

"I'll never leave you, Matt", he whispered into my ear. When I looked back at him, he looked a little embarrassed, but he put up a hand and said, "Cowboys' Honor". I laughed a bit, but I couldn't keep it up for very long before I was exhausted. I laid my head against the fresh pillow and Clay brought his arm over me and pulled me closer so that I could feel his heartbeat through my back. With his breath tickling my neck and an arm draped over me, I fell asleep completely content.

--

**I couldn't resist trying my hand at one of these dream scenes. Sorry I haven't updated sooner, I had a little bit of writer's block and distractions. Mostly friends, parties, deaths, etc. Hopefully, I'll get this next chapter up sometime next week. **


	14. Role Reversal

**I started this chapter literally minutes after the last one was up, so I hope it'll be done within a week of the last one. **

--

Dawn broke and for some reason, I was unusually tired. My normal morning routine started before the crack of dawn, but the sun was already peeking itself over the horizon by the time I roused. It was probably because of how little sleep I had last night.

Going back to last night, I could still feel the sickening fear that came when Matt started convulsing in bed. I was still half-asleep when I ran over to see what all the screaming about. The prone figure in Matt's bed was almost unrecognizable. While he thrashed around in his sleep, sparks raced across almost every inch of his body, preventing me from getting to him. Normally, I would've dumped a bucket of water on him, but I thought that wouldn't be a good idea since he was probably generating enough electricity to light a small city; all of which was going into the staff that he was clutching.

With every surge of electricity, Matt's screams renewed. I couldn't tell if they were from pain, but tears rolled off his temples, attracting sparks. When his eyes fluttered, I could see that they were rolled all the way back so that only their whites and pink underbellies showed. The sight was so horrible that I almost broke down on the spot from my complete helplessness. The electricity just kept pouring out of him and the staff was rumbling in his hands.

Suddenly, the electricity ebbed into a trickle, but Matt was still writhing around uncomfortably. That was my chance. I grabbed his wrists and tried to wake him. He didn't respond and the rest of his torso thrashed violently. When he lifted off the ground, I moved my hold to his arms.

"Matt! Matt, wake up, bud", I yelled frantically. He calmed down a bit, but his eyes were still moving rapidly underneath their lids like angry hornets.

"Matt? Matt!", I kept calling as his movements became progressively calmer. It came to the point that he would stop moving altogether for a second or two, but it didn't seem as though he was awake yet. He stopped moving and his eyes stopped moving and peeked out from under fluttering lids.

"Matt?", I asked uneasily. I couldn't see his eyes very well from the dim light, so I leaned in closer. Suddenly, they shot open and I could see my worried reflection blur in them as the tears drained from them. Awake, he was totally shocked and conserved while just a few moments ago he displayed uncontrollable pain and anguish. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know", came his soft reply. It tickled my ear like a wisp of smoke, coming and going stealthily; leaving no trace.

The sight laid out before me was so pitiful that it nearly brought me to tears a second time. Frown lines stretched across his shimmering brow from the fear and confusion of mere moments ago. His helplessness made the tears sting at the corners of my eyes. As the molten droplets threatened to fall, there was a small fizzle that discharged from the staff. When it continued to crackle, I decided to place it aside, confident that it wouldn't cause undue trouble. When it stopped, my relief was short lived when I saw how pale Matt was. His usual healthy glow was replaced with a heavy pallor. Seizing my opportunity, I tried to calm him down.

"Shh shh", I hushed. It seemed as though it was working, so I whispered in an attempt to hide the shakiness of my voice. "It's alright, Matt. I'm here." His breathing calmed and I felt him lean into my grip. I tried to use my most soothing voice to lull him back to sleep, and every breathy word I uttered was followed by a kiss and a squeeze.

When I saw that he was nearly asleep again, I grabbed a towel to brush off some of the sweat and tears that still shone on his cheeks and forehead. As I turned back around, his hands were clutching the thin straps of my beater.

"Clay, please don't leave me", I heard him say as if he was afraid I would refuse. Without an answer, I brought over the towel and gently rubbed the mixture of sweat and tears off. It was a little awkward as he watched me, so I just laid him down on his side and pulled him in so that his back was flat against my chest and belly.

"I'll never leave you", I whispered into his ear. I was shocked at my own boldness, but considering he was nearly half asleep, I couldn't help myself. I blushed as he turned around to face me. All I could think to say was. "Cowboys' Honor."

With the slightest hint of satisfaction, he turned around again and let me pull him in close to continue sleeping.

--

Knowing that it wouldn't be the most prudent idea to stick around, I cleaned up his room a bit before leaving. It didn't hurt that some of his considerable clutter was more neatly arranged. If I didn't know any better I would've thought a tornado passed through before I fixed it up. Seeing as I would never be able to tell how he would react to his new and improved room arrangement, I decided to leave before Matt woke up.

As I was leaving, I gave him a gentle pat on the back. He was a veritable lump under the covers. I was surprised that he didn't move before I left, but it was certainly better than waiting to find out what would happen if he found me in there.

After taking a shower and a bite to eat, I was making my way out of the kitchen and I saw Matt crouching behind a bush. He was concentrating on something so intently that he didn't notice me approach. When he finally did sense my presence, he pulled me down roughly and put his index finger to his lips.

"Good. You can help me", he whispered. I could barely hear what he was saying. Since it looked like he didn't want me talking, I just waited for him to continue. After a couple more moments of watching, he did. "I figured you'd show up sooner or later. Yesterday, I felt bad, so I wanted to find something we could enjoy together." With a heart-warming smile, he turned back to looking. "Shh! Here he comes!"

For the first time, I saw that he was holding a rope that disappeared into the bush. I saw no sign of who he was waiting for, but apparently there was someone coming. A second later, footsteps could be heard approaching. Pressing his lips up against my ear, he breathed, "Pull this when I tell you to." A few moments later, he gave me a quick nod and a hand gesture which said clearly "pull like your life depends on it." I quickly tugged on the line. Not a second later, a rustle, a bang, and grunt could be heard before a very angry sounding string of Portuguese erupted from the direction of the rope. .

Peeking over the bush, I saw Raimundo dangling from a rather high branch by one ankle. Based on what I knew about the others, I doubted that they would go through such lengths for a simple prank (Rai excluded considering he was hanging from the tree.) That left only Matt, and it seemed as though we were the only two there before laughter erupted from behind on of the tree branches. Kimiko was hidden in the brush above the scene with her laptop and camcorder. She already looked hard at work, no doubt editing and immortalizing Raimundo's embarrassment on the internet.

"Priceless, absolutely priceless", she struggled to get out between breaths. She was totally oblivious to the rough sounding stream of Portuguese directed at her from only a few feet below.

What looked like the tattered remains of a paper bag filled with powder laid strewn below the dangling form of Raimundo. Not much of the powder had made it to the floor though seeing as a majority of the bags contents seemed to be on Raimundo. At first I tried to restrain myself, but I couldn't help but start laughing with Kimiko and Matt who had been at it for a good minute or two.

Omi was the only one who didn't seem to be in on the joke (again, Rai excepted.) He did, however, manage to turn the corner right after prank was pulled, making for a very odd sight.

"Omi, bro. Preciso de ajuda! Help me!", Rai called. He had a little difficulty though because he had to spit out powder between every other word.

Unfortunately for Raimundo, there seemed to be no way up to the tree, and there was no way to untie him from the bottom. It looked as though Kimiko was the only one who could do anything short of breaking out the Shen Gong Wu. We all knew that Master Fung would never approve of that, so Rai was totally at Kim's mercy. That didn't mean Omi didn't try.

"Dangle off Rai!" Someone couldn't resist a low "hang on". "I will save you!", Omi called a little too passionately.

After a couple minutes of Omi's jumping and kicking, he fell to the ground exhausted. "I'm sorry, my friend. I have failed you", he mumbled as he knelt and bowed his head in shame.

"Aw, Omi", came Kimiko's voice. Luckily for Rai, she took pity on Omi and cut him loose. With a dull thump and muffled "ay!" Rai was on the ground again.

With a whistle, I looked up at Kim. "Dang, Kim. You sure are high up. How on Earth did you get up there?" She flipped off to one of the lower branches and dismounted in front of me.

"Why don't you ask Matt? He's the one who showed me", giving him a wink, she motioned to the tree. Without a word, Matt untied his belt. He ran up the tree and hooked onto a low-lying branch with the soft fabric. Pulling himself up, he jumped and reached for a higher branch. For a second, he hung in the air and it looked like he wouldn't make it, but at the last moment his palms met the wood and he was clear. Using his momentum, he swung up on top of the branch.

"Get the idea?" he asked as he stood up and retied his belt. Omi stood in awe, but it didn't look as impressive as his roof jumping I saw before.

After Matt's little show, I realized that I forgot all about Raimundo. It was the first time that I can remember him getting pranked and not the other way around. He was usually in on some sort of practical joke, so it should be a new feeling to be on the receiving end.

For a moment, he just laid there on the floor, but eventually he got up and just walked away silently. The way I figured, he'd be planning some revenge scheme even before we were done laughing. Not surprising though, seeing as we'd be laughing for a long time.

When Matt landed, he ran over to Rai saying, "C'mon, Raimundo. Cheer up. It was just a little joke." Rai just glared at him for a moment and then sighed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right", he responded slowly. "But that doesn't mean I'm not getting you guys back." His devilish grin reemerged as he said that. In my time here at the temple, I've learned to fear that grin. A cold chill rolled across my skin making my hairs stand on end.

"Well, maybe you should watch your back a little more often", countered Matt. He put his first two fingers up to his eyes in the "I'm watching you" gesture.

Kimiko backed him up. "Who knows how many more pranks, and videos, are in store for you?", she asked. Her rhetorical question was enough to turn Raimundo a shade whiter, even with the powder in place. Threatening to say something with a wave of a finger, Raimundo instead turned around and scurried away in the direction of the bathroom.

"Nice job, Matt", laughed Kimiko as they did a double high-five that turned into a hug. Unlike the two of them, Omi and I were still a little shocked at the display. It took a while for me to get over it, but Omi was still confused as to what exactly happened.

"Well, Omi", started Matt like he would to a child. "You see, Raimundo has made a habit of pranking all of us, so we just thought that we could give him a taste of his own medicine, so to speak. It didn't hurt that we had a camera either." Kimiko picked up a hidden camcorder near where Raimundo went up. The casing was dark brown so it was hardly recognizable amongst the surrounding rocks. She flashed it to show Omi. "You want in on the next one? It's still in the developmental stage, but I'm sure we could fit you two in there."

For the first time, I realized that he was talking to me as well. "I dunno Matt. Didn't that seem a little... extreme?" My conscience was getting the better of me in this one, even though I did see their point. Raimundo had done some pretty harsh things in the past. Some of which involved my hat. While I fiddled with it, it occurred to me that messing with the hat was the easiest way to get to my bad side; look at what happened to Matt.

"Come _on_, Clay. You know you want to", he teased in a sing-song voice. It was very tempting my accursed conscience was blaring in my head. However, the appeal was too great.

"Fine. I guess I'll help you with the next one, but no promises", I conceded. Both Kimiko and Matt had a way of changing my mind.

"Excellent", they said in unison. Omi was still a little confused, but he was done asking question at least.

"Omi, why don't you come with me and we can get started on the video", asked Kim with a wink to the two of us. I blushed deeply and saw Matt try to hide his cheeks by tilting his head towards me. He waved a goodbye with his fingers as Omi was dragged inside by Kimiko.

"So... Where were you this morning?", he asked me shyly. Every now and then his eyes would meet mine only to quickly dart away. It was as if he expected me to look away too.

I just looked straight at him for a while before I was forced to avoid his eyes too. "Well, I woke up before you did, so I cleaned up a bit and took a shower. While I was coming back from a quick breakfast, you were crouching behind the bush."

"Oh...", he said with a whiff of disappointment. "Thanks." I assumed he meant about the clean-up, so I bowed my head in response.

"Say, Matt. You wanna take a walk?", I invited to resolve the awkward situation.

"Sure", he answered beaming. "I'd love to." His smile could melt a heart of stone. The urge to pinch his cheeks was suppressed by the fear of another impromptu shock therapy session. My hand was half-way up before I turned it's path the the back of my head. I could practically flick a bead of sweat off my temple.

We proceeded to the garden and I couldn't wait to start another day with Matt. I let him walk a little ways ahead and he would look back at me from time to time. Every time he'd peer back, my grin would widen. I had a feeling that today would be a good day.

**Sorry, sorry, sorry. I just couldn't find the time to write. What with computer time, volunteer work, and chores I'm surprised I've gotten this much done in the fic. If you were wondering where I was, I apologize, but I hope this was a good addition to the story. I apologize for ending it so abruptly, but I wanted to get this out as soon as possible. Until next time. **


	15. Painful Secrets

**Sorry for the very sudden ending in the last chapter. I just wanted to get _something _out. And thanks if you've reviewed, boo if you're reading this and you haven't.  
**

The walk in the garden emulated so many that preceded it. Beautiful weather. Beautiful scenery. We weren't really talking yet, but if it went as our other walks did, the conversation would spark deeper in the garden.

As we made our way to our usual resting place, a bench in the shade of a weeping willow, I couldn't help but notice Clay edging closer and closer to me. I tried not to let him know that I saw, but it was extremely difficult to keep my eyes on the path and not him. He got so close that our arms brushed.

Recoiling from the contact, he mumbled, "Uh... Sorry." Before he could flee, I grabbed his arm and wrapped mine around it. It was rigid to the touch, so I gave him one of my warmest smiles to ease his mind. Not long after, his heartbeat settled and we were at the bench. When we got to the willow tree, Clay parted a section of the hanging branches to let me pass. "After you", he said politely with a smile. I hope he doesn't expect me to curtsy.

"Thanks", I said while passing to hide my embarrassment. What he did was nice, but it always made me feel a little odd. I think I'll just focus on the nice part.

"So what're we talking about today?", he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

I gave him a play punch to the cheek. "You think sharing intimate thoughts and details of our past lives is funny?", I asked him as I stood on the bench. This way, I was a couple inches taller than he was.

He picked me up and slung me over his shoulder so he could sit down. "No. I just think it's funny how you get so angry when you think I do." He let go, so I flipped over him and took a seat right next to him on the bench.

Changing the subject, I asked him, "What did you think of the prank we pulled on Rai?" It seemed like he was very remorseful after we stopped laughing.

"Well, to be honest, I wouldn't've done it myself. I think it was a little harsh, even for Raimundo." He sighed and looked up at the light that pieced through the dense foliage above us. "You and Kim should apologize before he cooks up a plan for you two."

"You're probably right, as always." My sigh turned into a laugh as he gave me one of his big Texan smiles. "But you gotta admit that that was funny."

"Maybe a little bit", he admitted as he continued smiling. After a while, it was a tad unnerving how he could just look at me and smile for so long.

"So Clay", I started to take his attention off of staring at me. "Have you ever been in a relationship before?"

"A couple", he answered quickly. I was a little shocked, but I really couldn't blame them once I thought about what a great catch he is. Sweet, caring, handsome, and overall inviting. What more could you ask for?

"A couple?", I asked jokingly with a raised eyebrow. "What were they like?"

"Well, seeing as they were all in Texas, I'm sure you know that they were all gals", he gave me a look that said "you probably knew that", and continued. "Well, the one that I was with the longest I was with for a good year or two. I don't remember exactly how long, but somewhere in that general time frame." I tilted my head to the side and he took the hint to speed it up. "Well anyways, she was a nice girl and pretty to boot, but there was just no passion in the relationship. Not to offend her, but I honestly felt like she had no personality."

He mused on about his girlfriends with a vast range of emotions. As Clay played out various scenes from his dating life, the ever dreaded question drew closer and closer. Some of the descriptions weren't as pleasant as others, but three or four girls later he was finished.

"So Matt, have you ever had a serious relationship before?", asked Clay curiously. He also just had to add. "I'm thinking no seeing how young you are, but who knows? Maybe you've met a special someone on one of your many adventures."

The last part made it that much harder to tell Clay. "Well, you see Clay, there was someone. Well, more like is. We've been on and off for the past couple of years." Clay's face registered shock before growing drastically darker. I thought it would be a good idea to just try and continue. "You remember me talking about Chris, right?" A quick nod was his only response. "It's his son. Chris Jr."

Silence followed the revelation. "Why didn't you tell me?", Clay asked with pain in his voice.

"I didn't think I had to. Last time I saw him, I tried breaking it off, but I checked my e-mail this week and he said that he was planning a visit here." Clay was _not _thrilled to hear that.

"So all this time, there's been someone else? What in tarnation were you thinking? How could you keep this a secret? That seems like a pretty darn good thing to tell someone _before _you kiss them!" His rant would've continued if I didn't stop him.

"Clay, I'm sorry. _Really _sorry. I know you didn't deserve this, but I'm just not sure what I was thinking", I confessed. "I know for a fact that I _do _love you, but I'm not sure if I still have feelings for Chris or not."

I knew that he wasn't happy one bit. "Matt, I'm sure you realize that I'm not one bit happy about this", he told me. "but what I do know is that I love you too. I may be angry and hurt, but I still love you." He got up and gave me a very affectionate kiss on the cheek. "But I also know that this isn't going to work out unless we're _both _committed to this 100."

The realization hit me and I nearly broke down in tears. "I'm sorry, but the way I figure, we shouldn't see each other anymore." The words froze me in place. "I still hope we can be friends though." He extended a hand for me to shake, and despite my greatest efforts to kick and scream and yell, I couldn't bring myself to do anything more than gingerly accept his handshake. I let go of his hand very gently and could almost feel the waves of pain and anguish that I was radiating. With a glance up at him, I could see a one-sided smile turn into a worried look.

"Matt, I'm really sorry", he mumbled and looked down as a single tear streaked down my cheek. I turned and he tried to reach out to me, but by the time his hands were a foot from where I had been, I was halfway down the path back to the temple.

I couldn't stand to see him right now and risk saying something I'd regret. A dull ache welled up in my chest and my breathing became labored as I ran towards my room. Dark clouds rolled in, seemingly from nowhere. With every leap and bound I took, they collected and thickened, threatening to let down their load at any moment. Overhead a loud thunderclap rolled across the valley, stirring all of the leaves in the garden. In the silence that followed, a gentle mist filled the air.

By the time I got back to my room, the gentle mist had turned to bullet-like drops of rainwater that left bruises to those unlucky enough to get caught in their midst. I entered my room bruised, panting and sweaty despite all of the rainwater. With a forceful tug the wet robes undid themselves and slid off of me. More sweat and tears reached the robes than the rainwater. I dried off and slipped into some dry pajamas before getting into bed.

I knew that it could be barely into the afternoon, although the rain made it dark enough to pass for dusk. At the moment, I couldn't care less and it seemed like the most logical thing in the world to hole up in my room for now. Picking up my pillow, I tried to hold back a sob. The suppressed cry forced out more tears, and I buried my head into the soft down. I curled up into a ball next to a wall and rocked until I fell asleep. This way, only my pillow would ever know that I was crying.

**I think this was one of my shortest chapters yet. The ending to this is sorta weird, but I hope it'll build up some tension for later chapters. Hopefully, you've read the earlier chapters or you may have a "WTF?!" moment with the mention of Chris. I haven't really defined him yet, so I'll see if I can play around with him a bit. Till next time I suppose. **


	16. Makeup

**Sorry for the very slow updating. I've been caught up in the back to school rush plus the fuss over my new little sister. I also finished all of my volunteer work for the summer, so I'll have much more time on my hands now.  
**

**And I have some questionable format in this one, so try to follow along as best as you can. Now that that's out of the way... ON WITH THE STORY!**

_**Chris **_

"Is this really worth it?"

The same question kept haunting his thoughts, making the doubt grow and spread across the back of his mind. It was so powerful, he could swear that he felt it coursing through his veins, making the hairs all over his body stand on end. The feeling of looming uncertainty remained as he stared off into the rolling pastures and ascending rice paddies below. To Chris, the Chinese landscape sailed by soundlessly, everything except the thrum of the helicopter's wings muted by his headset.

The light coming from outside the window prevented anything from being reflected on it's surface except his vague silhouette . He took out a mirror and was surprised to see that he didn't look half bad. A little sagging under his eyes plus the onset of stubble were the only things that really marred his appearance. Just a quick shave and a cup of coffee would remedy those problems.

Checking his breath, he took a drink from a bottle of water and popped an orange mint. The familiar tang of the mint made him remember that it wasn't so long ago that he wasn't such a huge fan of mints. Before he met Matt, he'd hardly touch one unless offered, but now he never left anywhere without them rattling in his pocket. Taking out another, he gazed deeply into the glazed orange surface. It made him imagine Matt taking them three or four at a time. The effect was a sweet tangy aftertaste after kissing. Knowing Matt though, he'd probably choke on one before anything like that happened again.

Chris smiled at his private reveries, but the daydream was broken by a rush of static and the garbled voice of the pilot. "Sir, we're approaching our destination. We should be there in about twenty minutes. I suggest you put on your seatbelt if you haven't done so already." Chris checked his watch; they were half and hour ahead of schedule.

Resting his head on the palm of his hand, Chris returned his gaze to the window.

--

_**Clay**_

It's been a couple days since the entire break-up, and I've been plagued with second-thoughts. He said that he hadn't thought it was anything before the e-mail, and I can't really blame him for lingering feelings. Does that mean that I did the wrong thing? Was it too drastic? Was I too quick to break it off so easily?

I came back to my room soaked and sore, but I've been feeling worse every day since. I've seen Matt every day, but he's been distant and looks sedated most of the time. The others have changed around him since too. Kimiko's taken on the role of mother-hen with Matt, and Omi, being Omi, has been trying (and failing) to understand what illness Matt has. Surprisingly, Raimundo forgot about the whole prank after Matt broke out in tears when a similar flour bomb exploded in his face. Rai has taken on the brotherly role since.

Things have changed even when Matt isn't around. The others, noticing my aversion to Matt, have been on me like hounds on a rump roast.

"I just don't see why you can't tell us!", yelled Kimiko. Her outburst made me look around for signs of Matt. "If something happened between you two, and you hurt him, so help me I'll-"

"Woah, woah, Kim. Cool your jets. We don't even know if anything happened yet", broke in Raimundo. I made a silent sigh as her gaze shifted to him.

"How can you even say that! Look at him!", she pointed at Matt who was walking on the other side of the courtyard with his hands in his pockets. His slumped shoulders and downcast eyes clearly outlined his sorrow. After watching him kick at the dirt for a moment, she turned back, "How could he not be hurt?"

"Calm down, Kim! What I meant was that we don't know the entire story. If I was in Clay's position, I'd want at least one chance to clear things up", Rai gave me a side-long glance which said, "Sorry, I tried."

"Well, there we go", she said with a hint of finality as she placed her hands on her hips. "How I see it, you can pick one of two choices; Choice A: you tell the story and I decide whether or not to fry you afterwards, or Choice B: I just burn you to a crisp now and get it over with", she said coldly. The ice of her words was contrasted almost completely by the steam that emanated from her balled fist. She unclenched it and pointed her index finger under my nose. "Now I suggest you talk." I could feel the heat rolling off of her and I thought it would be prudent to start my story now.

"Well... erm... you see...", I stuttered. She brought her finger a centimeter closer. A bead of sweat from the tip of my nose dripped onto it and it immediately sizzled and evaporated. "Okay, okay! Just hold your horses! I'll get to telling it when you get you stop trying to burn me! I don't want my face to turn into bacon." Slowly, she withdrew her hand and it retreated under the singed cuff of her gi. After a moment, I went into the entire story, starting from our walk in the garden and ending with me getting back to my room.

"So I think it's just a whole load of drama that I think I don't deserve", I finished. Kimiko, who'd been simmering for most of the story, took a deep breath with closed eyes.

"So what you're saying is, Matt has an ex-boyfriend who just suddenly reappeared and you decide to leave him because he may have lingering feelings for him?", Kimiko asked. "In other words, you broke up with an otherwise amazing boyfriend just because he's confused about his feelings?"

When I thought about it, I looked like a pretty big asshole right about now. Matt was honest enough to tell me that he might've had some leftover feelings, and I broke up with him over it. The truth of the matter was that I was afraid that I would get discarded as soon as someone else stepped into the picture, so I called it quits before we even hit our first real bump. A gesture from Kimiko snapped me out of my thoughts.

She looked to Raimundo who was still a little shocked to hear about our relationship. "You know, Clay, if I was gay, I wouldn't give Matt up so easily", he said with a little snicker. It was quickly silenced by a smart jab to the ribs by Kimiko. "But seriously, it sounds like Matt was the best thing to ever happen to you, and I'd hate to see that go to waste; for either of you." He gave Kimiko a toothless grin. She responded with a kiss to the cheek, but returned her attention to me almost immediately.

"You'd better go talk to him now, Bailey, because I'm not sure how much longer you have until what's-his-name gets here", her words had a serious tone to it, and she surprised me when she held my face between her palms. I was frozen in place, but shifted in her grip like a doll. "Clay, please don't hurt him", she requested in a much softer tone. While I was still there, she brushed her lips against my forehead and stepped back. Marveling at my luck for not getting burned, I got up and made my way over to Matt.

--

By now, he'd finished with kicking the dirt and was sitting on a low-lying branch of a fruit tree. I could see him swinging his legs even from this distance. His hunched back and shoulders were facing me, so I couldn't see what was going on with his face.

A bigger problem hit me; what am I going to say to him? I haven't talked to him since he ran off, and now, after breaking up with him, I'm supposed to go in and try to get him back? My time was running out. I couldn't stop for risk of getting a fireball up by rear-end, and Matt was getting steadily closer. When I go to the fruit tree he was in, I still had nothing to say, so I decided to just wing it.

"Howdy", I said. Short and simple was how I was going to play it.

Without so much as a glance, he returned the greeting. "Hi", he said with a soft voice. It seemed like there was something weighing him down, as if an invisible yoke was resting on his shoulders, restricting his breath.

"So... How're those pears lookin'?", I asked. The garden fruit was uncharacteristically scarce and puny. Usually, the garden's trees bore big, beautiful fruit during this time of year; right when summer turned to fall.

"Seen better", he answered dryly. His face was still turned away from me, but I could swear that I saw his eyes glisten when he shifted farther down the branch.

"Yeah. I know what you mean...", I said in an attempt to keep the conversation from dying. Despite that effort, he didn't respond, so I tried to start a new one. "So what's up?"

"Not much", he responded. (A/N: That response pissed me off so much! XD)

I'd run out of things to say to him, so what do I do now?

"Clay?", he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah?", I responded eagerly. I couldn't help but perk up a bit. Moving directly underneath him, I felt a tear fall on my cheek.

"I'm sorry", he said in a soft, pained voice. The rest of what he would've said was lost in the series of sobs and tears that followed. I hopped up and pulled myself onto the branch to sit next to him. I put my arm around him, but I felt as if I was about to fall backwards.

"Why don't we get outta this tree before we're hanging offa it like possums?" I suggested with a general motion towards one of the benches below. A slow nod was all the acceptance he gave before he hopped off the branch and made his way to the bench. He was sitting by the time I got down from the tree.

"Aw, darnit Matt, you ain't got nothin' you need ta be sorry for", I said as I approached him and sat down. "Really. I feel more yeller than a lemon in a banana suit, and dumb as a sack of hammers to boot."

For a moment, he didn't comment, only scooted closer so that he could rest his head on my chest in a very friendly manner.

"So I take it you want to put this all behind us?", he asked timidly while he looked up at me with those big brown eyes. Looking into them was surprisngly exciting. The sunlight found a way to break through the swaying branches of the trees above in little chinks of light. The golden rays gave his eyes an almost orange hue when they hit his face.

"Well", I said with a grunt and an exhale. "I reckon it couldn't hurt." I smiled down at him and he returned the gesture. "So I s'pose we're still friends?"

He pushed off me and gave me a mock punch. "Of course we are, Clay", he answered warmly.

There was still the huge question that I had yet to touch on. "So... Matt?", I started. His only response was to turn and stare into my eyes with a knowing look. "I was just wondering... Would you happen to still consider... I mean..."

"Darnit! Why does this have to be so hard?", I thought to myself. The right words still didn't come to me, but luckily, Matt got the picture.

"I don't know, Clay. I honestly don't know", he said in his dreamy voice. It was as smooth as silk to the ears, and I was disturbed by how that soft, delicate sound could convey such heavy emotion. "If you were referring to right now, my answer would be a no. I'm sorry, but I hope you understand where I'm coming from." I did understand. I understood completely, but that didn't make it any less painful to hear.

"I know, I know", I answered. "I s'pose if that happened to me, I'd be fit to be tied myself." I sighed and felt an emptiness grow somewhere inside my chest, leaving a dull throbbing ache. "I was just hoping..."

"Clay", Matt cut me off. "You're one of the sweetest, friendliest, most caring, honorable, and handsome people I've ever met. You also have a sexy accent which is a plus." He winked at me and I blushed at the comment. "To be honest, I couldn't bear losing you, and I still can't. As a friend, you're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, but I just don't think it would be the same situation as my boyfriend at the moment. Do you get what I'm saying?"

I nodded in resignation of a future of lonely nights. "However," that one word made me perk up. "that doesn't mean that things can't change." He winked at me again, but my expression didn't change.

"C'mon, Clay! Cheer up!", he pleaded. The scene elicited the slightest smile from me, but Matt wasn't satisfied with that. He got up and gave me the biggest hug I've ever gotten from him. The sensation of his closeness was very calming, but the chaste comfort made me feel wistful at his touch. Sometime during the hug, he'd ended up in my lap and when he noticed he chuckled.

"Alright, alright!", I answered reluctantly. He was almost choking me with the strength of his hug. "Get off me! I nearabout suffocated!"

"Let's not get too excited here", he joked as he complied with my plea. He pushed off from my leg, and the feeling of his palm on my thigh sent a thrill to a very naughty place. When he got up, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and offered me a hand to help me up. "Well, we'd better go find the others before they worry." I just nodded in agreement as I stood up.

"Clay?", he asked me while we started over to the others.

"Yeah? What is it?", I asked back in the friendliest tone I could muster.

"Do you think I need a haircut?" Honestly, that had been on my mind for a while now. Watching him play with his chin length hair, I had to admit from time to time that he did look somewhat feminine. Since he'd arrived, his ear length hair grew to the point where he could tie the entire mass of his hair into a three inch long ponytail.

"Well personally, I ain't particular 'bout looks", I responded. He just shot me a look that said, "bullshit", so I continued. "But if I had to, I'd say I reckon a snip here and there couldn't hurt." I actually thought he would look good with short hair. It would certainly give me a better look at those gorgeous eyes, but other than that, I could live with him as is.

"I think we should hurry up. Besides, I'll have to see if Kimiko will agree to cut my hair. I don't trust Raimundo with scissors that close to my face, and Omi would mean well except he'd probably end up making me have to go bald too." For each one he ticked off, he held up a finger.

"You on the other hand, would probably be my second choice." I was a little surprised at his comment, but waited for an explanation. "I know you wouldn't _intentionally _mess up my hair, but I'm not sure if you've had any experience beyond shearing sheep." I was a little upset by the comment, but it was true, I've never (decently) cut human hair before.

"And what's Kimiko got that I don't?", I asked, noticing a hint of sexism.

"For one thing, she's a girl, and she's more accustomed to dealing with longer hair", he answered. I stifled an "aha" when I saw the validity of his point. "Plus she changes her hairstyle every other day, so I should hope that she knows how to do something with all of his." He held a lock of his bangs between his forefinger and thumb.

"Well, I say you should ask Kimiko first and then Omi", I joked. "Just in case you need to get rid of it afterward." He laughed at my joke, but didn't say anything else afterward, leaving me to think over things.

As we walked over to where the others were, something was still bothering me. Matt's ex was on his way, and I just hope I can patch things up with Matt before he gets here. It seems like my time is running out.

--

**I'm really, really, really, really sorry about not posting in so long. I can't stress how sorry I am, but I'm back now, and I'll probably post in two week intervals considering that school is starting back up. **

**And ooo spooky Oo. It was a decent chapter in my opinion, and I started it in a third-person narrative just to make Chris a little bit of a mystery. If you want to learn about him, you'll have to read my next chapter. Well, TTFN. **


	17. Conflict

**This one was started right after the next, so it should've been in some time during the week after or so. I hope that it makes up for my previously tedious post time, but I'm just hoping you enjoy. **

Looking into the hand-held mirror, I was shocked to say the least. The person staring back at me was amazingly… Asian. The only thing that could've made me look more Asian was a pair of thick-rimmed glasses.

It was almost astounding that I could see my face after hiding behind such long bangs for so long. I still had bangs, but they were considerably shorter and swept off to one side, revealing the soft pale skin of my cheeks. The rest of my hair, although it was about as long as my bangs, seemed like it was almost completely gone. It felt like three or four pounds were taken off my head. Peering into the mirror, I could actually see the swishy hair run through my fingers.

The transformation was almost more than I could handle, but Kimiko just looked thoroughly proud of herself. Until then, I didn't really consider the implications of the "haircut", but I should've known better.

"Kim, what'd you do to my head?", I gasped finally. That wasn't the exact response that she was expecting, so apparently it warranted a whack to the head.

"What're you talking about?! You look amazing, Matt!", she played with my hair a bit and fixed a few loose strands. "You actually look like a guy now, and like a guy that actually cares about how he looks."

"What're you saying?", I countered. "Did you think I looked messy and unrefined before?" I tried to make those last comments as snooty and uppity as I could.

"Uh... yeah", she answered smiling. "I think that this haircut shows of your face, which is a plus." My face was pretty round, and it seemed li

"I suppose...", came my slow reply. I wasn't too sure about it, but if Kimiko liked it then it was probably a decent cut.

"And I bet Clay can't resist you now with you new and improved hairdo", she gave me a wink and flashed me a smile.

I paused at the comment. Would Clay still be interested after I rejected him? I did tell him no, but I gave him the possibility of later. "I'm not so sure Clay's still interested, Kim", I responded dejectedly. If I was in his position, I'm not sure I'd be too keen on getting me back either.

"Well, what about Chris then?", she countered.

I thought for a second, and I noticed that something didn't add up. "Wait a second... Who told you about Chris?"

"Oh... I uh... I have my sources?", she stammered, dropping her scissors. She bent over and fumbled with her scissors to avoid my glare.

It wasn't like I really had to ask, but it didn't make it any better. Clay was the only person I told, so that made him the prime suspect.

"I should go find Clay", I said briefly before I got up and left, leaving Kimiko stuttering behind me.

--

"Clay Bailey, you'd better get your behind out here right now!", I yelled outside of his room. It wasn't long before my demand was met. He poked his head through the curtain and I could see that he was in his usual outfit except he was missing the hat and bandanna.

"What in tarnation- Matt, what's going on?", he said. I was assuming the first comment was to my haircut.

"We need to talk, Clay", I said as I pushed him back into his room.

"Wait... what was the point of me comin' out if'n you were plannin' to push me right back in?", he asked in his confusion. I didn't see the need to answer so I just ignored the question.

"Clay, have you been telling the others about what we talked about a last week?", I asked back. I gave him a look that said, "I'm serious here".

He was taken aback by the abrupt interrogation, but eventually responded. "I-I'm not sure what you mean", he replied.

"Okay then, I'll put it in terms that _you _can understand", I gave him a sharp poke to the chest that made him flinch. "I hear tell that some no good varmint's been blabbin' about my personal information."

He seemed a little offended at the mock southern accent, but it got the point across. "So what exactly is that supposed to mean? I'm still not sure if we're on the same page", he asked as a dark look came across his face. It was obvious that he wasn't happy; his arms were crossed and he puffed up a bit in anger.

"I'll tell you this, that Bailey kid's sure ain't one to trust with a secret, bless his heart", I replied a little too dramatically.

"Good Lord, Matt! Can you quit it?", he screamed, obviously not amused by the accent anymore.

"Don't have a hissy-fit!", I yelled right back. It wasn't the best way to resolve the problem, but it sure felt good to vent on someone; Clay just happened to be the unfortunate person on the receiving end.

"Matt, would you quit screaming like a banshee and tell me what in the hell's goin' on?", he screamed. "You really are somethin' else, Matt. I don't even know what it was that I did and I'm already getting my punishment!"

"Well, how does everyone know about Chris, huh?", I felt tears stinging at my eyes. "You were the only one that I told, Clay!"

"Shoot, is that what this is about?", he asked a little more calmly. I thought he was about to go into a sappy apology but instead, he flared up again. "I don't really see why it would matter. He's just a guy. So can you get off my back now?!" Lucky for him, I didn't hear the muffled, "Jesus!"

"That's not the point, Clay!", I yelled without the accent this time. "It was a matter of trust! I told you that in confidence and you thought it was alright to just tell everyone else about my past?! I can't believe that you would just blab about it even when you knew it wasn't public knowledge." My anger wasn't blazing anymore, but it still simmered somewhere deep in the pit of my stomach.

"Well, why don't you ask Kim about it?! Betch'a you would'a told too if she threatened to turn your face into bacon!", he yelled yet again. Unfortunately for her, she decided to peek her head in at that moment.

"Um... did I hear my name? If I'm interrupting anything, I'll just come back later", she murmured. Her eyes darted from me to Clay, and I hadn't noticed how close he'd inched towards me. If I were her, we would look suspiciously close.

I glared at her for a second, but motioned for her to enter. Clay didn't seem to happy about it, but I would worry about him later.

"So what's this I hear about you threatening Clay with bacon?", I asked her seriously. In the last couple seconds, I went from simmering to boiling.

"Um... bacon?", she asked, but then I realization dawn on her face. "Oh, that. I'm not really sure what it has to do with bacon, but I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about."

She took a deep breath and I thought she was about to do burn something, but instead she went into a jumbled stream of words that I assumed to be a story. "So basically, Clay was sorry, I made him talk, we sent him to apologize, and then you guys came back! Alright, bye!"

She was out the door before I could even find a word to yell at her. With her gone, I found myself so angry that I could hardly stop myself from pulling my own hair out, even after the new cut. It didn't, however, stop me from grabbing at it in huge fistfuls.

In my frustration, I buried my head into the nearest thing I could find and screamed as loud as I could. At the moment, I didn't really care that Clay was that thing. The force of my yell squeezed tears out of my eyes, and eventually, I just sobbed in my anger. We stood there for some time, and he reluctantly put his arms around me.

I made a sound that was between a sob and a whimper when Clay started letting go. I clenched my eyes tighter as the warmth of the embrace started to leave me and I pushed him away, but before we flew apart, he grabbed onto my wrists and the force made us bounce back together.

This time, I was staring straight up into his blue eyes. They glistened like they always did, but with something different in them. They were devoid of all the gentle kindness that they usually held, and in it's place was a mixture of anger and what could only be described as raw emotion.

Without a word, I felt my breath literally taken away from me by a violent kiss. The shock made me clamp my eyes shut. My body tensed up and I grabbed his shoulders. My hands gripped so strong that my fingers went cold. When I could ease my eyes open, I could swear that I saw a flame ignite in Clay's eyes.

My short hair swished and fell as Clay ran his hand up my neck and over the back of my scalp. His other hand started between us, but then came around traveled lower until Clay roughly pulled me in.

I let go of his shoulders and he immediately picked me up. I felt him walk forward, and I was unprepared for the blunt thud as I collided with the wall. Through the whole transition, he'd never stopped kissing me.

He let go of my waist and put his hands over my head on the wall. I braced myself against him as his hips started to grind against mine, increasing the heat between us. He brought his hands back down to pick me up again and pin me up against the wall in mid-air. By now, the heat was nearly unbearable, and at the same time exhilarating.

When Clay's lips moved down to my neck, I felt his hands move lower too. It literally sent a shock-wave down my spine. Tendrils of electricity spider-webbed across the wall. My toes crinkled and I shook with pleasure as I watched them, but I couldn't shake an off feeling. All of this, Clay, myself, and this situation; something about it made it feel hollow, as if it was only a mockery of real emotions. Looking into Clay's eyes, I could see the anger, but the raw emotion turned into pure lust.

The knowledge that this wasn't pure made me feel dirty in more ways than one.

"Clay", I sighed. He didn't respond. "Clay. Stop." Again no response.

"Clay!", I yelled, and he just put on more pressure. I tried pushing him off, but he just took my wrists and held them above my head. "Please..."

I didn't see any other way of getting him off, so I summoned some electricity and immersed my body in it in one surge. The force of the shock threw Clay off me and left him temporarily paralyzed.

As he struggled against his paralysis, he was stuck in a position where he gazed straight at me.

"I'm sorry, Clay", I said with a crack in my voice. I looked into his eyes and followed the path of a glistening tear down his cheek. It was just too much for me, and I had to leave him there.

**This chapter was pretty blah. It seems unoriginal to me, but I like the effect it has on the plot. I hope that I'll be able to pull it off in the next chapter. TTFN **


	18. Meetings

**Whew! That last chapter was a little uncomfortable to write. Now that that steamy stuff is out of the way, I'll try to see what I can do with this story.**

_**Clay**_

Metal. The taste of metal lingered on my tongue while I was stuck in this crouching position. Matt's huge shock left me feeling like an action figure; rigid and immobile. My muscles tensed up and refused to bend at my command, so I was stuck staring at the same spot for nearly half an hour. By the time I regained feeling in my fingers and toes, I could rock myself back and forth a bit. I managed to break out of the crouch and fall on the floor limply, but I still couldn't move my elbows or knees, making me effectively incapacitated still.

Nearly another half hour later, I managed to get up and sit on my wooden chest. Fingering the hinges, I couldn't help but think about what just happened. "Shoot, what'd I do?", I thought to myself. Matt was obviously hurting and needed someone to vent to, but I just took advantage of his emotions and nearly... It wasn't proper or respectful. It violated everything that I've ever been taught, and the worst part was that I was enjoying it. Some part of me was enjoying the entire thing, and it pained me knowing that I probably alienated Matt indefinitely.

I had to think of a way to make it up to him.

--

"Matt!", I called when I saw him down the hall. He was still looking a bit disheveled, and he turned away when he noticed me. He wasn't walking though, and as I neared a saw him fumbling with his clothing. With a final fluff of his hair, he turned around, good as new.

"Oh...Uh...Hi, Clay. What's up?", he mumbled awkwardly. He did his best to avoid looking me in the eye without being rude, so he settled with fleeting glances ever few seconds.

"Matt, I'm... I'm feel so low down I could crawl under a snake's belly", I sighed. He looked at me with a hint of confusion, so I just got to the point. "I'm right sorry about what happened earlier, and I understand if you think I'm about as worthless an individual as they come," I tried to chuckle a bit, "'cause I sure feel that way."

"Clay, I...", he started. I was afraid that the furrowing of his brows meant some bad news yet to come. "I understand Clay, and I accept your apology." I'd been holding my breath and as soon as the good news was broken, I let it out in a big sigh. I was about to break out the party hats and confetti when I saw Matt wasn't done. "I know that we were in a relationship for a couple weeks, and it didn't seem like it was moving very fast. I know that it's natural for the physical aspects to become a little neglected, but I think that you should know that if we are ever to have another relationship, it'll go just as slow if not slower."

I wasn't worried about that at the moment; too busy basking in the joy of forgiveness. It was almost enough to make me miss something, but a slight discoloration on Matt's hand wasn't hidden under his sleeve fast enough.

"Matt, what was that?", I asked with a motion to his wrist. I stopped the inner celebration to put all my attention into the matter at hand.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about", he lied. I could tell because a pulse of electricity ran down his arm.

"Uh-huh", I said, loading the two syllables with as much sarcasm as I could manage. I took his arm and was met with very little resistance. When I lifted it, I pulled back the sleeve to reveal medical wrap coiled around his wrist. I cocked an eyebrow at him and he looked down.

"Oh that?", he said, trying to laugh off the whole matter. "That's just a little sprain, no big deal. Just forget about it." He put an emphasis on the last sentence, giving it a hint of finality. I didn't remember seeing it or feeling it earlier, which probably meant...

"Matt, turn around", I commanded, and he looked a bent his knees defensively.

"Why? I don't see what you're trying to prove here", he lied again. I just took the arm I already had and spun him around. When I lifted the bottom of his gi, it revealed a colorful bruise blooming across the soft skin of his back. I couldn't help but hiss and cluck at it like I did after the sparring match a couple weeks ago. "Goshdawg, Matt! Why didn't you tell me?", I exclaimed. He just rolled his eyes and pulled his shirt down.

"It's nothing, Clay. I'm fine", he said with a weak attempt at laughing. I didn't doubt what he said though, because if anything, he looked like he was glowing brighter than ever. He even gave me a smile to ease my worried heart before turning around. "I've been through worse, Clay", he laughed, a little more sincerely this time. He spun around and gave me a another smile accompanied by a twinkle of his eyes. As he turned back and started to walk, he gave his hair another unnecessary swish. His new haircut seemed to sway more rhythmically than the other, and it was twice as hypnotizing.

While he walked away, I realized that I had the perfect thing to patch things up with Matt.

--

I burst into my room, and immediately attacked the trunk. While I rummaged through my assorted knick-knacks, I heard a deep mechanical thrumming pass over the temple and the sickening feeling of panic gripped at my insides as I realized that was the way Matt was headed. As the adrenalin pumped through my veins, I felt a fine chain brush against my fingers.

I pulled out the necklace gently and inspected it. The same as always; it was dazzlingly bright still, and I could swear that it was almost new despite it's 50 years. The jagged golden claws nested the yellow pearl perfectly, and it jingled a bit as I stuffed it into my pocket. I ran over frantically to the front hall of the temple with it bumping against my thigh.

--

Nearly ten years ago, I remember the first day I laid eyes on the necklace.

_"Clay, can I talk to you for a bit?", my mother called from the living room. It was one of the rare occasions that I've seen her not working. She seemed uncomfortable about it too, since she was fiddling with her apron while she sat. _

_"Yes'm", I replied respectfully. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing since I never remember it happening before. I wouldn't want to invoke some sort of strange punishment. _

_"Well, Clay. Your father and I have thought about it for a while, even since before you were born, and we've decided that it's time to give you this." She pulled out one of the most beautiful objects I had ever laid eyes on. Even though the gold was jagged and it's lines harsh, the necklace conveyed some sort of rugged beauty. _

_"Wh-what's this for, Ma?", I asked, not even trying to hide my astonishment. I couldn't take my eyes off of the shining pearl as it rolled around the gold nest. She just smiled and placed it in my upraised palms. _

_As she closed my finger around it, I looked up into her bright blue eyes and she said, "You see, your grandma gave this to me when I was just about your age. She told me, 'If you meet someone special, and you don't know how to let them know, just give 'em this and I'm sure the message'll get across.'" She smiled at the memory "Your father and I, well, we never saw any use for it, so when I told him about it, he agreed that we should give it to either you or Jesse. The thing is, knowing Jesse, she'd probably just lose it or end up wearing it herself. That's why we decided to give it to you, Clay."_

_I was totally speechless, and if I hadn't had manners beaten into me since the day I was born, I probably wouldn't've said anything. However, I managed to take my hat off and give her a little bow before I said, "Well, shoot, Ma! Thank you!" I gave her a kiss on the cheek and she was beaming at me. _

_"Now go, you rascal. Go clean up for dinner. I'm fixin' us somethin'", she said as she shooed me upstairs. I placed the necklace safely in a box under my bed. _

--

Since that day ten years ago, I've never traveled without the necklace, but I haven't found a use for it until now.

I've often marveled about how huge the interior of the temple is, and now is no different. I'm almost positive that the various twists and turns that I needed to take almost doubled the distance from my room to the front hall. By the time I came to the last turn, I was panting like a dog. I decided to take a moment there to regain my composure. A couple seconds and a sigh later, I straightened my hat and turned the corner. My hand that had been in my pocket, pulled out the necklace only to shove it back inside when I noticed that there was a strange face at the gate.

This guy looked slightly heavy in terms of build and about my height. His parted jacket showed off a broad chest, and I noticed that he was wearing a suit, a very expensive looking suit at that. He had a very strong face; his jaw was very strong and defined, and his brow seemed heavy, but didn't jut out. His bright green eyes peered under his eyebrows, giving his face a sad look while he looked around the front hall. They also provided a great contrast with his dark brown hair and lightly tanned skin.

Everything about him seemed clean and precise, he even checked his watch every few seconds. The only things that gave a hint of disorder were his hair, that was doubtlessly styled to be slicked down into curls over his forehead, and a sprinkling of stubble that traveled from his cheeks all the way down his neck.

I just stood there, inspecting him for a while, so when Matt showed up, I felt pretty creepy. He gave me a glance, but looked to the visitor and his face lit up.

"Chris? Chris, is that you?", he called as he started to run over to him. The stranger's gaze turned to Matt, and his sad eyes instantly crinkled with laughter as he caught up the running Matt into a very tight hug. He spun him around once before letting him jump off of him. The others arrived, and they immediately made their way over to him. I decided to do the same, but a little more slowly. I let the necklace fall into my pocket as my spirits sank.

"Okay, okay. Chris, I'd like you to meet my new friends", Matt announced excitedly. If I hadn't been so caught up in my sagging spirits, I probably would've smiled at how cute the scene was. "This one is Raimundo, you should watch out for him", Matt joked as he gave Rai a big smile.

Chris shook Raimundo's hand and said politely, "It's a pleasure to meet you." A smile accompanied the greeting.

"Okay, this little lady is Kimiko", said Matt. He started nursing the back of his head after Kimiko slapped him for the "little lady" comment.

"What's up?", she asked in the standard greeting.

"Again, a pleasure", he said as he took her hand and kissed it. She started blushing, and Raimundo nearly fainted with anger.

"Next we have Omi", Matt continued. Omi bowed and Chris reciprocated.

"It's an honor, Omi", Chris said as Omi just stood there beaming.

"And last but certainly not least, we have Clay", Matt stated with a hint of finality. I looked into Chris's eyes, and I saw a mixture of kindness and geniality, but as soon as he saw the way Matt was looking at me, it faded a bit to be replaced by confusion and a hint of wariness.

"I'm sure the two of us will get along... _swimmingly._" I was taken aback by the way his manner changed. It seemed as though he just set himself against me. Matt was eying the two of us while we both set our faces into stern looks. When Matt cleared his throat, we both snapped out of it, and laughed dryly as we shook hands.

Master Fung showed up within seconds of us finishing up our introductions. "Ah, this must be the Chris that I've been hearing about. Welcome to our temple, Chris. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, but I must apologize because Matt has taken the last of our spare rooms." Matt blushed as everyone took a quick glance at him. "But I'm sure one of the young monks would be willing to share their room with you."

Kimiko wasn't budging for obvious reasons, and Rai was already giving him the death stare. Omi's room was small enough, so I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work out, leaving just me and Matt. I wasn't sure if I'd rather have him stay with me, probably causing a fight ever few minutes, or having him flirt with Matt non-stop. I do trust Matt, but I'd rather not risk it, but at the same time, I don't want to be miserable for the next indefinite period of time.

"Well, I don't much see the point in any of us intruding on his stay, so I'll just let him have my room and I can just find another room somewhere in the temple", I suggested. Chris looked a little surprised, but I thought I saw a flash of gratitude in his eyes. "I mean, there's bound to be an old storage room or something _somewhere _around here."

"Oh, right", chimed in Matt. "And I suppose you'll just run two miles to the bathrooms every time you need to wash your hands." Rai and Kimiko laughed at that. "Since that won't work, why don't you just room with me? My room's the biggest since it was reserved for guests, so there's more than enough room for us."

As soon as Chris saw what I had been getting at, all traces of geniality towards me disappeared. His brow furrowed, and I could see that there was going to be many arguments to come. It looked like I won this time though, since we didn't discuss the matter further.

"Chris, why don't we go take a walk, I'm sure we have alot to catch up on", he suggested. Chris received a big smile, and I felt my face heating up.

"Alright, Matt. I'd love to", he answered smugly, with an equally smug smile directed at me. As the two of them walked away, I clutched the chain of the necklace and felt the cold metal stinging my skin. There was no way I'm just going to let Chris have him without a fight.

**Okie dokie! So Chris finally comes into the story, we'll see how this effects Clay and Matt's relationship. I'm working out the plot still, so please excuse any late posts. That, plus schoolwork, clubs, etc. I'm practically swamped, but I'll see what I can do with this story. I hope you stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	19. Gifts

**Alright, first off, sorry I haven't posted in ages. I'm really starting to wonder where my time is going *checks under bed*. Anyways, I really lost my train of thought with this story, so I'll just try something and hope that I can end it well. **

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_**Matt's POV**_

"Honestly, Chris," I pleaded. "Can you stop that?" The two of them were eating in the kitchen when Clay passed by. Chris, as usual, had a stony glare focused right on Clay's head. "You do know that he doesn't like me anymore, right?" Somewhere deep down I knew that wasn't true, but I couldn't help but feel as if it was. After all, wasn't it _my _fault that he'd acted like he did? The pang of remorse that stabbed at my heart was so strong that it was almost a physical sensation. I had to rub above my heart to convince myself that the skin remained unbroken. When my anxiety subsided, I grabbed the plates and placed them in the dishwasher. It was Raimundo's turn to wash today.

"You know I can't, Matt", Chris replied. "I love you, Matt, and I honestly can't stand the thought of you being with anyone else, let alone some monk you've known for a couple weeks." He walked over to me and took my hand in his as he tried giving me a kind look.

"Fine, but can you at least stop being such a jerk to him?", I snapped. "He's a really nice guy if you give him a chance. Please, Chris. For me?" I did my best attempt at puppy-dog eyes while I nuzzled up to his chest. In retrospect, I couldn't find any other word to describe it other than "skanky" if you consider Clay left the room only moments ago.

"Alright, alright, Matt. I'll try", he laughed and slipped his pinkie-ring off. "But I make no promises, you hear me?" He dropped the ring into my palm before he pulled me in closer and kissed the top of my head. What surprised me most was that I really liked it. It confused me because I was sure mere days before that I was totally over him, but my heart said otherwise when it skipped a beat while I just stood there.

I was thinking so hard that I didn't even notice Kimiko walk in on us. "Oh, um... am I interrupting?", she asked as I turned in our embrace. Chris held onto me with arms wrapped around my torso. I could tell what she was thinking as she looked at me. The way her eyebrows drooped and her shoulders slumped in told me she was torn between her loyalties to both me and Clay.

"No, no," Chris assured her. "We weren't doing anything... yet", he whispered that last part, causing hot breath to tickle my ear.

When Kim saw that, I could see she was trying her hardest to suppress a look of disgust, but I was eternally grateful that she just let it slide.

"Y'know, Chris, why don't you go find Raimundo? I'm sure you two could bond a little while I talk with Kimiko here," I hinted. I knew he could take a hint, but I made it exceptionally obvious for safety.

"Alright, alright", he repeated. He let go of me and gave me a kiss on the left cheek. "I'll let you _women_ talk." If I wasn't so keen on getting him out of the kitchen, I probably would've punched him. Even so, Kimiko had to physically restrain me from throwing a fork at him.

"Matt! Just chill, okay?" she pleaded. Reluctantly, I let the fork drop onto the counter with a clatter. "Okay, so what's going on, Matt? I thought you two were through."

I heaved a monumental sigh at the question. Without lookng, I plopped down onto the comfortable padding of one of the kitchen chairs. "I thought so too, Kim. But..."

"But?"

I glared at her before I continued. "Well, I don't know. I mean, recently, I've been... feeling things," I looked down as I fingered the rolling design on Chris's ring.

This time, Kimiko sighed. "Matt," she started. "I don't know if you know this, but Clay likes you." I raised my eyebrow. "I don't think you understand," she placed her hands on my shoulders. "He _really really _likes you. I mean, ever since you came, he's started whistling during training. He tips his hat to all the monks, he sings in the shower," Kimiko was really on a roll here. "Hell, he even sleeps without his boots on. What I mean to say is that he was happy with you, and now...", she took me by the hand and led me over to the threshold of the kitchen. From there, we could see into the courtyard and the gardens. On a bench, Clay sat with his hat tipped downward. His shoulders were slumped over and he was wringing his hands, something I've never seen him do before.

"Well, if he does then why do you think he broke up with me?" I asked. Seeing him like that had me starting to tear up. That just seemed to make Kimiko angry.

"Well, what do you expect Matt? That he would just drop everything and thrust his heart at you?", she spat. "Believe it or not, you're not the only one with feelings in this world, Matt. He was afriad, Matt. Do you know what it's like to love someone like he loves you?" I couldn't help but think of what happened mere days before. My encounter with Clay was more physical than anything else, but I still couldn't keep myself from hoping it meant something.

That last question struck a chord somewhere deep within me. I really don't know why, but the thought that Clay still loved me made me sad. I had to admit it to myself and to Kimiko. "I..." I frantically looked for the right words to say "I honestly don't know what that sort of love feels like," I blurted as a stray tear found its way down my cheek.

"Do you really think this is fair to Clay?!", she was getting flared up and her arms swished wildly in the air as she continued to yell at me. "Don't you feel anything?!"

"It really isn't fair, is it, Kimiko. Why is it that I can just cast him aside as soon as someone else comes into the picture? Why doesn't that make him hate me? W-why can't I feel what he does?" I stuttered as I looked up to see Clay making his way over to us shyly.

"So you think it would be the same? You can't even imagine the kind of pain you've put Clay through!", she gowled icily as she motioned behind her in Clay's direction.

"Kimiko..."

"What makes you think that you can just trample all over his love like that?"

"K-Kimiko..."

"Who do you think you are to just toy with someones emotions?!"

"Kimiko, stop." She turned around and saw Clay behind her. It was as if someone pushed the off-button on her anger. The fiery emotion was replaced with reverence and remorse.

"Clay... I...", she started. "I'm sorry", before she ran off to her room.

Clay then turned to me. I was expecting something along the lines of what happened with Kimiko."Matt, I heard some of that stuff you said to Kim, and..." he paused. "And I need you to know that I still love you. And I'll be darned if I don't do something about it." He turned around and pulled something out o fhis pocket. I heard the soft jingle of metal and my vision focused in on a stunningly beautiful necklace dangling before me.

"Oh, Clay, I can't accept this", I murmured as he offered it up to me. He didn't listen though, and just closed my hand around it.

"Matt, I reckon this'll sound a little awkward, but I want this necklace to be a symbol of my feelings for you", he explained softly. "If'n you don't want to accept the meaning, that's fine by me, but I want you to keep it as a reminder of what we've shared", he leaned down and gave me a kiss on the right cheek. "and what could still be."

What really touched my heart was the fact that he could still harbor feelings for me after what I did to him.

As he walked away, I noticed how he continued to wring his hands. Slowly, I pulled both hands up to my cheeks, as the phantom sensations of both kisses - from Chris and Clay- tingled across my skin. With the ring in my left hand and the necklace in my right, I made my way into the garden.

It was beautiful for the time of year, which was probably the polar opposite of how I would describe my own feelings. Unlike the rest of the week, the temperature was comfortably warm. The gardens were in the peak of their color change, shining deep reds and golds right before the leaves shriveled and fell from the branches. With the thin layer of leaves on the floor, the garden seemed to be transformed into an almost alien environment. I felt like a shroud of silence had descended upon the entire temple, broken only by the occasional chirp from the birds or the rustle of feet on leaves.

When I came to the center, I sat down in front of what looked like an oak tree. Although it wasn't native to the region, it didn't surprise me to see it there. It was exactly the kind of thing Master Fung would do to include foreign greenery in the gardens. While I was lost in my musings, I noticed something: the tree that stood before me was actually two tightly intertwined, as if they'd grown together. In the center of the trunk though, I couldn't tell which was which, and that one section appeared to be connection between the two.

At the foot of the trunk, I found a patch of ground that was encompassed by the roots of the tree; almost like a bowl. I looked down a my open palms and the glint of metal flashed in my eyes as I placed both the necklace and ring inside the dip. It seemed like a safe place to keep them while I wasn't wearing them. The only thing was that it made me feel a little like a squirrel, what with the hiding valuables (a.k.a. nuts) in trees. I just hoped that I would be able to remember this spot. On the side of the tree, there was a smooth, rounded rock that I picked up and etched out the letters "C" and "M" on with my pocket knife. Now all I had to decide was which "C" would be with this "M".

Before I could give that any thought, I was jarred back to reality by Dojo's scream piercing through the silence. Without much thought, I scooped up both the necklace and ring before gently laying the rock over the bowl. With the necklace around my neck and the ring on my finger, I started sprinting towards the temple as fast as I could. It was only when I was half-way there that I realized I probably should've just left them there at the tree. If I hadn't been running, that would've been a very appropriate face-palm moment.

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_**Clay's POV**_

After Matt and Chris saw me leave the kitchen, they thought I left right away, but I decided to stick around for a bit. I couldn't help but be hurt by some of the things Matt said. Did he really think I don't like him anymore?

With my hat in my hand, I plopped down onto one of the nearby benches. As soon as the hat got back on my head, I started wringing my hands like a dishtowel. Does Matt still like me? I'd take a wild guess that he doesn't because I really get the feeling that he couldn't care less.

That thought got me so angry that I nearly started screaming to myself. I even started whispering nasty things under my breath just to make me feel better. It's silly when I think about it, but it helped at the time. Sometime after I said something about "pickled sheep-bladders", I heard a commotion from the kitchen. When I glanced up, Kimiko was railing on Matt like I've never seen before. From the looks of it, he was about ready to burst into tears. What's worse was that I'd only take one guess as to what they were talking about.

I couldn't let that go on, so I started over to the two. This part, I don't remember too hot. All I could think about at the moment were Matt's lips. The entire time, I thought to myself, "Get a hold of yourself Bailey", but it really didn't do much. From what I recall, one thing led to another and I finally got to giving Matt that necklace. What I do remember was saying something like, "I want you to remember what we've shared and what could still be."

I kissed him on the cheek and he looked reassured and all, but I still had to beat myself up for it afterwards. Bursting into my room, I started pacing around the little space I had.

"What the hell was that, Clay?", I asked myself out loud. "I reckon he'll just be falling _all _over ya' after that one. Jesus Chris, why do I deserve this?" I was broken from my self-destructive rant when I heard a racket from Dojo. "Must be another Wu," I thought to myself before I dashed over to the courtyard.

On my way there, though, I saw one of the strangest sights I've ever laid eyes on. "Rai, Kimiko, what in tarnation are you two doin'?", I asked when I saw the two of them hopping towards the direction of Dojo's hollering.

"Well, _somebody_", Kimiko started. I had no doubt of who that 'somebody' was. "went and got us stuck in our belts. Really, Rai, how _do _you do it?" The effect was lessened somewhat by the fact that she was hacking at the colored fabric bound messily to her feet.

"What're you talking about Kim?", Rai snapped back. "I didn't mean to get stuck in my belt. Plus, it wasn't _my_ brilliant idea to put them on _before_ untangling them. _Someone_ just went and pulled them _both_ up without thinking to make sure they wouldn't strangle us!"

From the looks of it, their belts were _both _off at some point, so that could only mean... "Jesus Christ, you two! What the hell were you doing with your pants off together?!"

"What?"

I turned around and saw Matt trot down to us from the gardens. I noticed something sparkling against his chest too.

"Who had their pants off with who?", he joked with a sly grin on his face.

"Uh...", both Kimiko and Rai said in unison.

"Why are you guys just standing here?", Chris said as he came up from behind everyone. "I think there's some sort of dying animal in the courtyard. We should probably go check that out."

That snapped everyone back to their senses, and we dashed towards Dojo's Sheng Gong Wu induced shrieks. Rai had to hold his pants up though, since he decided to be a gentleman and let Kimiko have both belts.

* * *

When we got there, Dojo was writhing on the ground as usual.

"Yo, Dojo", Rai called. "What's up this time?"

"Finally! What were you kids doing?", he glanced at all of us.

All of us just had to turn to Kim and Rai.

"What?", Rai asked with an attempt at an innocent face.

"Whatever," Dojo interrupted. "We'll discuss that later, but this Wu is the Kappa's Bowl."

"You mean you interrupted us for sushi?", Matt asked.

"Not 'Kappa Roll', Kappa's Bowl", Dojo corrected.

Master Fung emergerd from the shadows. "It gives its user unparalleled strength and balance but only if the bowl is kept full."

"Just like the legend!", Kimiko chirped.

"Exactly", Master Fung. "Dojo will be taking you to Japan for this Shen Gong Wu, young monks," he turned to Chris. "You may accompany them as well if you'd like."

I raised an eyebrow to Chris. He didn't look like the type to go for this whole magical scavenger hunt thing, but he continues to surprise me, if only with how much of a jerk he is.

"Do you think that's such a good idea Master?", I asked with a glance at Matt and Chris.

He raised his eyebrow too, but at me this time. "I don't see why another set of hands could hurt. I'm sure any differences you have will be put aside for the good of this mission."

Grudgingly I bowed as I got onto Dojo's back. I doubt this will turn out well.

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**I apologize again for the infrequent posting, but I hope this slightly longer chapter helps a bit. I got out of my groove with this story, so I'm not sure if the style changed, but I hope you liked it anyways. **


	20. Split Up

**Wow, I haven't updated this in... a couple months? I apologize if you've been waiting (which I highly doubt you have), but highschool seems to have the effect of sucking away all your time. ECA's are a bitch XD. **

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_**Matt's POV **_

When I got onto Dojo's back, I couldn't help but notice the tension sparking between Clay and Chris. Those two were hopeless. Not only had they been taking every opportunity to glare at one another, it felt as if the two of them were pulling me limb from limb in order to win me over. At some point, something had to give.

"Will you to stop acting like kids and just get on?"

Clay and Chris, who'd been fighting for the spot behind him hung their heads in shame and clambered up onto Dojo's back. In the end, Clay had been the one to claim the spot, since he got up Dojo faster, but Chris took a safer position where he could hang onto one of the bigger ridges on Dojo's back closer up to Dojo's head. Dojo turned to face Chris.

"Remember, keep your arms and legs on the dragon at all times. If you feel the need to exit, alert the nearest-"

"Dojo!," all five monks snapped at once.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh!," Dojo snapped back as he snaked his way into the air.

Once they were safely (or as safe as they were at any give time) in the air, Clay tapped my shoulder. "Matt?"

"Yeah?," I said as I turned back to him. My leg unhooked for only a second, but I was flung back into his arms.

"Easy there, partner," Clay chuckled as he steadied me. I couldn't help but notice that he situated me considerably closer to him.

"Thanks," I mumbled with a hand still on his chest.

"So how're you and Chris getting along?," Clay asked. There was a hint of smugness in his voice, as if he expected some sort of negative response.

"We're doing... well," I answered with a quick glance to Chris. He was glaring for a second, but then turned back to the ridge in Dojo's back he was hanging onto. I know from experience that he has terrible motion-sickness.

"Ha!," Clay snorted with what I assumed to be a confident tone. "If you say so."

"I guess there's no point in asking how you want this to turn out," I sighed. There was no doubt in my mind that Clay would like nothing better than to be rid of Chris altogether.

Clay silently pondered the question. "I'm sure Chris is a good enough guy if he could've gotten you," he admitted. "Stuck-up like a hot air balloon covered in superglue maybe, but good enough..." He looked at me seriously as he aimed his next question. "But can you really blame me, Matt? If he was the only thing standing between me and you, then could you honestly expect me to like him?" I couldn't argue with that logic, so I just continued to look at him. "We both know that that's not the case, but that doesn't mean there's nothing in the future..."

"Clay!," I coughed. He was a little too forward for my liking. "If you were in his position, what would you think about us? It's not fair to him, Clay. I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk like that with the state of things..."

"What state of things?," Clay growled while his hands slowly gripped the sleeves of my robe. "He had his chance, Matt. Where's mine?" The intensity of his words and eyes were enough to silence my first protests.

Eventually though, I came up with an answer. "Clay, it's just not in the cards right now. I promise, you'll be the first to know if that changes, but that's all I can promise you..."

Without even giving me time to think, he took my hands and pecked my cheek. "Then that's all that I ask for."

I glanced back nervously to Chris, but sighed in relief when I saw him slumped over Dojo's scaley back.

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When we finally landed, we were somewhere deep in some sort of forest. I couldn't tell right off the bat that we were in Japan, but considering the country was mostly forested mountains, the area fit the description. They landed in front of the mouth of a large valley nestled between two mountains. Behind them, laid dense forest, that suddenly cut off. The monks and Chris all hopped down off of Dojo; some with more difficulty than others. Kimiko and Omi had to catch Chris from hitting the ground head-first when he slid down Dojo's back.

When Chris finally came over to me, he was a little ruffled, but none the worse for wear. However, he had a sour look on his face when he turned to me. "I see the two of you were getting comfy back there."

I hung my head in shame and hid my blush with an awkward hand to my neck.

Raimundo saved me from further embarrassment when he called the team to order. "We'll split up. Kimiko and I will check the northern mountain." He pointed to the peak closest to us. "Omi, you and Matt take the forest. Clay, you'll take Chris and Dojo to the southern mountain."

Chris wasn't pleased about the pairings. "Why can't I go with Matt?"

Raimundo had his leader-face on, which meant he was going to give very little room for discussion. "Because Clay is always with Dojo, and that's an extra pair of experienced eyes to watch your back. Matt, on the other hand, has only been on one mission with us, which he came back from unconscious. I trust Omi and Clay can keep everything under control." He conveniently chose not to explain his choice to go with Kimiko.

Chris still didn't look satisfied. "But-"

"No buts! I'm the leader, and the sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can go cuddle with your boyfriend, but as of now, we're on a mission, and I expect my orders to be followed."

With that, everyone moved, except for a gaping Chris and a pouting Clay. I couldn't help but pity them, so I gave them each a hug before I left. "I expect you two to be on your best behaviors."

"Yes, Mother Dearest," Chris joked with a smirk. A nasty glance wiped it clean off of his face.

Clay was a little more accustomed to the entire mission thing, so he just gave me a quick nod before bumping Chris towards the southern peak.

A couple moments later, all that could be seen of them were two bobbing heads sinking under the crest of the hill.

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_**Clay's POV**_

Now this isn't what I pictured this mission to be like, but I guess I'll just have to live with it. Chris is, as usual, being a little spoil-sport.

"I can't believe that Raimundo," he complained to Dojo. "I mean, like he honestly believes Matt can't handle himself. Ha! And choosing that Kimiko girl..."

I couldn't stand it any longer. "Mind shuttin' your yap long enough to look around for the Wu? I can't imagine being able to look and whine like that at the same time."

"I'd imagine it's a stretch for you to be walking and talking at the same time. Looks like we've both exceeded some expectations today," Chris spat.

That was just plain uncalled for. "Alright, let's get this straight, partner. You and I don't like each other, we're on a mission together, and I reckon this'd pass a hell of a lot easier if we weren't going for each other's throats the entire time, so truce?" I put a hand out to him as a proverbial olive branch.

Grudgingly, he took it. After that there was a measure of mutually appreciated silence.

He seemed to be entertaining the notion of leaving me alone for a while, but it just couldn't last. "So... you and Matt, huh?"

I didn't see the point in responding, but to be polite, I gave a quick nod and a curt, "Yup."

"Can't say I blame you...," he sighed. "He's... special, isn't he?"

I peered over at him as he parted a bush. The shrubbery here at the foot of the mountain clung strongly to the stone foundation. He seemed to get the point that I wasn't going to answer that so he went on.

"Well, if you don't mind me asking, which one were you?," he asked.

For a moment, I stopped. "Which what?" That didn't mean that I wouldn't mind, but I should at least consider the question.

He gave me an awkward chuckle before elaborating. "Uh... the dude or the chick."

"Are you serious?," I groaned. If I were to look at myself next to Matt, I could tell without a second's doubt who was who.

He blushed a little. "Silly question, right?" Noticing the rosiness in his cheeks, I had to admit that he was handsome, but it wasn't enough to soften me up. He had the sort of face you'd expect to see in an old painting; the pronounced jaw line, straight nose, slightly wavy hair, etc. I might've even liked him under different circumstances. However, as long as he was in running against me for Matt, there was no way in hell I was letting up.

"Chris, mind me asking you something now?"

He shrugged off his embarrassment and then turned to me while dropping some rock he picked up. "What would that be?"

"Why'd Matt break up with you in the first place?," I asked.

He didn't answer me right away. The subject was obviously a sore one, and I almost felt bad for asking. Almost.

"Well, we never actually 'broke up'," he explained. "At least, not in the traditional sense of the word. We just sorta... drifted." There was a dreamy look on his face as he recalled some memory. "Then one day, he handed me all of the stuff I'd given him. Well, he hired a moving company for it, but that doesn't matter. What does is that we never said it was over. It was just 'assumed' that we weren't seeing one another anymore. One day, I couldn't just stand leaving it at that, so I flew out here to see him. I was half-expecting him to dump my ass as soon as I touched down here, but he got back together with me, as you remember."

My blood boiled as I thought about how unfair this all was. According to Chris, I'd never had a chance from the very beginning.

"But there's something different..." My lip twitched as I focused on what he was saying. "He seems... distant with me now. I miss having him actually pay attention when he's with me. It's like he can't get something off of his mind..." A flicker of doubt showed when he peered over at me. "It's as if he's being there against his will..."

"Maybe he ain't happy," I suggested. "Before you came, we were getting along like peas and carrots, but now I can't seem to get more than a couple sentences out of him. If he's happy, then I'm an honest politician."

Chris seemed to take offense to that. "Maybe he wouldn't be like this if he hadn't come here in the first place! He was fine training back home, but apparently, it wasn't enough for him to train back in America; he just had to train with the legendary Dragons."

He pouted a little, and quickly returned to the task at hand. There was no more talking after that. We'd said everything we needed to say.

* * *

_**Matt's POV**_

This forest was getting old fast. Every moment I spent was driving me closer to insanity. I could even sense a sort of pattern in the passing scenery:

Tree. Tree. Bush. Rock. Tree. Tree. Bush. Rock. Stream. Tree... Wait... Stream?

I rushed over to the side of the shallow stream and ran a hand gently through the water. It was crystal clear and ice-cold; probably melted snow from the mountain tops. At the bottom was a mosaic of pebbles, each of varying size and shape that created a sheet of gray stone across the entire stream. When I studied it closer, there was a slight discoloration a little ways away. I shook the water droplets from my damp hand and made my way over.

At the bottom of the stream, there was something small and golden glinting in the refracted sunlight. Rolling the sleeve up to my shoulder, I plunged my right hand into the water. After a couple moments of fumbling against the rough rock, my hand glided over a smooth surface. Taking the object in hand, I wrenched it upward, only to have it budge a centimeter and pop back into place.

Bracing the ground with my other hand, I heaved and pulled my hips in to get a better go at it. Finally, a rock shifted and sent the object flying and me sprawling out onto the ground. My head spung for a moment as I regained my balance, and I looked back to see where my prize was. However, I glanced back just in time to see a shadow descend upon a tree above me.

When I saw the face of my visitor, I frantically rushed to find the Shen Gong Wu. There wasn't any time to waste now, and my muscles tensed in anticipation for a battle while my eyes darted around the ground.

I couldn't call for Omi this late, and none of the others would've made it in time. I was all alone this time. Unfortunately for me, I was face to face with Chase Young.

* * *

**This chapter was a long time coming, and I'm sorry if you wanted a little more. Please feel free to review. If you've bothered to read this far, then why not just waste another couple seconds writing up a comment? **


	21. Blood and Tears

**So I finally decided to bring this story back from the grave after losing focus with my other stories. Really though, I can't seem to work on multiple stories at once with high school in my way, so I've decided to just post erratically in everything I have and hope that at some point, it evens out. Without further ado, here's the fic.

* * *

**_**Clay's POV**_

To the east, I heard a huge crash followed by the screech of a flock of birds fleeing their nests. That can't be good. It took me a second to remember that that was where Matt and Omi were searching. Sprinting over to Chris, I grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him.

"I reckon there's a bit of a tussle goin on over there," I told him. "Go with Dojo and tell Rai and Kim. I'm going to try and see what's happening." I took a step over to the mouth of the clearing but found my progress suddenly halted.

"Oh no you don't!," he snarled. My sleeve nearly ripped off in his grip. "I'm not letting you go in there alone. How do I know you're not just trying to get to Matt? Plus if you die, it's on my head."

"Well if Matt dies, then what then?!," I growled back. "As far as I'm concerned you'd only slow me down in a fight, and I can't be covering your ass the entire time! This is what we train to do, so don't underestimate us."

"Then don't underestimate your opponents, Clay! I can't say I know how to fight or your freaky element shit, but what I _do _know is that you never charge into anything without a little bit of insurance," he spat. There was some merit in what he said, but most of it was lost in the fact that he was slowing me down right now.

Dojo writhed beneath us. "Hey, don't I get a say in this?"

We both glared at him and he promptly curled up into a ball behind Chris.

"I don't have time for this!," I groaned as I took off into the dense forest.

"Clay!," I heard Chris call behind me. "Clay, get back here!"

* * *

_**Chris's POV**_

"Goddamned Texans! They're so stubborn!," I yelled. Dojo and I were left here alone, fumbling around trying to think of something to do. "Should we just go get Raimundo and Kimiko? I'm sure they'd know something was up already."

Dojo slithered next to him. "I'm not so sure. The way things are going between the dragons, I can't really say any of them are in their right minds..." He paused for a second. "Except for Omi. He's about as right in the head as he's ever going to be, so I can't complain."

"Well, we've gotta do something," I mumbled. For a moment, I stared off into the trees. Should we follow Clay, or go find Raimundo and Kimiko?

Dojo winded in front of him. "I know that look, Kid. I've seen it before, and to tell you the truth, it's probably not that great of an idea."

"I didn't even say anything!," I snapped. After a second's pause, though, I turned back to him. "Let's go follow Clay."

"I knew it! I knew it!," Dojo groaned while he threw his little green arms into the air. "Master Fung sent me _another _crazy one!" However, he didn't even bother arguing, so after the couple seconds it took to transform, Chris was on his way to get Clay and kick his ass.

* * *

_**Matt's POV**_

"So nice to see you again, young monk," Chase smirked. "It's such a pleasant surprise, especially considering we'll be able to talk _uninterrupted_." Gestured down into the crater he'd just created where Omi was battling at least five or six of his warriors.

When I saw one of them land a clean hit on Omi, I nearly dashed down there myself, only to be headed off by Chase.

"And where do we think we're going?," Chase chuckled. "I think you and I have some business to attend to. Let Omi have his fun."

I glared at him with a look of pure hatred. "Chase, I swear to you, if anything happens to Omi, I'll-"

"You'll what?," he growled smugly. "Do you honestly think you can defeat me by yourself?" I fumbled with the Shen Gong Wu I'd been given. In my arsenal were the Yin-Yang Yo-Yo and the Staff of Jupiter. The Yo-Yo would help eliminate the advantage of Chase's speed, but I was fairly certain I could hold my own with the staff.

He seemed to read my mind. "And don't think your little toys will help," he said cooly. "The difference between toys and true power is that the toys can be broken." He suddenly balled his hands into fists and charged me.

In the split second it took him to clear the distance between us, I was already in the Yin-Yang World and back. After a moment of racing through the disorienting colors, I appeared behind him on the branch of a tree.

"You'll have to do much better than that if you want any hope of winning!," he snarled as he lunged for me. I put the Yo-Yo onto my belt and set myself with the staff. However, I was just a tad too slow, and he had a kick aimed at me while I was half-way unguarded. I managed to block the kick, but he took advantage of the weakness of my hold on the staff to play it in a circle and wrench it from my hands.

My heart dropped the moment I saw it falling to the crater in the earth. At least Omi might be able to use it. My thoughts were put on hold when Chase pushed me off the branch with a thrust of his hand. The battle wouldn't wait for us to reach the ground, so he darted down from above to try and drive me down to the ground. However, I let my robe catch the air to slow my descent, and he overshot me by a meter.

Not to be out-done, Chase grabbed a tree branch within a second of reaching the tree and leaped to get at me again. This time, I sprawled out for a split second to put in position to intercept his blow. When he connected, I had an iron grip on his ankle. Wasting no time, I positioned him under me and kicked with all my might. That small burst of strength was enough to send Chase hurtling down to the ground impossibly fast and counter my fall at the same time. I grabbed onto a tree branch and hopped down ten feet to the ground.

Even with Chases reflexes, there was no way to cushion your fall from such a great speed, or so I thought. Within seconds, Chase emerged from the smaller crater as if nothing had happened.

"Excellent," he chuckled. "We seem to be getting stronger. I really am impressed, Matthew. You and I could rule the world in a matter of days, if you so wish."

I snarled back at him as he took a step towards me. "Too bad for you I don't. I'll never join you, Chase, and that's just something you'll have to accept."

His eyes narrowed as he threw his head back in laughter. "Never may be coming sooner than you think." He took a quick glance to the side. "Ah, it looks as though we have company."

Right on cue, in trudged Clay, who stopped before us panting.

"Clay!," I yelped. "What're you doing? Where's Chris?"

Chase took that distraction as an opportunity to lunge at me. I felt him get a hold of my hips, but after a moment of struggle, I weaseled my way out of his grip and flipped back towards where Clay stood.

Clay seemed to be ignoring me now; he was too busy glaring at Chase to answer my questions.

"Drawn like a moth to the flame," Chase said. Though he looked and sounded relaxed, his "You two are just inseparable, aren't you?" He studied Clay's face and seemed to find something there. "Or is this 'Chris' person getting in your way, Clay? You monks always make things so complicated. Just eliminate this Chris and you'd have Matt all to yourself."

I couldn't seem to move as I waited for Clay's response. "I reckon that's the way you think about it," he said in his slow souther drawl. "But the way I figure, Matt'd be too mad at me if anything happened to Chris."

"True, true," Chase chuckled. "But you should've taken your chances, because your days with Matt are numbered."

"Chris isn't taking Matt anywhere!," Clay growled as he stepped over to me. I could feel the protectiveness billowing off of him as he set himself between us.

"Who said anything about Chris?," Chase asked nonchalantly. "I'm saying that Matt _will _be leaving, but of his own accord."

Clay couldn't take it anymore. With a deft kick to the ground, he sent a huge ripple of earth at Chase, who easily dodged it. However, Clay anitcipated that, and sent a slab of earth hurtling towards him mid-air. Chase couldn't find any foothold in the free air, so the hit connected. He and the sheet of earth fell to the ground with a huge crash, and there was a great cloud of dust coming from the location of impact. Slowly though, I could make out the silhouette of a crouched figure as the wind picked up. After the great roar of some unearthly beast, I was met with a piercing glare from Chase's giant lizard form.

"Foolish monk," Chase cackled. "I've endured more in my sleep!"

Clay growled as he sent a similar attack to Chase, which was easily avoided.

"Well, looks like you'll have a little more help now, since reinforcements seem to have arrived," said Chase.

"Matt! Clay!," Chris yelled as he and Dojo touched down between us and Chase.

"Chris!," I yelled. My veins went ice cold as I saw him walking straight into the battle. "What're you doing?! Get out of here!"

Chase looked onto the argument semi-amused. "So this is Chris? A rather poor specimen," Chase commented. "I was really hoping you'd do better. I think you traded down with this one." He gave a quick glance to Chris and Clay and I blushed.

"Holy shit!," Chris screamed. "What is that thing?"

"Chris, get back!," I yelled at him. "Dojo, get him back!"

I saw Chase tense up to lunge, and I reacted almost on pure instinct when I whipped out the yo-yo on my belt. I ran frantically through the yin-yang world as the portal reopened. Hopefully I could make it in time.

* * *

_**Clay's POV**_

I saw Matt reappear after a split-second and the momentum carried him through to knock Chris out of the way of Chase's attack. I was over there in less time than it took to get my boots, and I crouched next to Matt should he need protection.

"Hey, bud. You okay there?," I cooed soothingly to him as he kneeled there on the ground.

For some reason, I felt as if there was something off. "You okay?," I repeated as I tried to look down at him. His eyes were glazed over and there seemed to be an intensity in his face that I'd never seen before.

Chase cackled again as he returned to his humanoid form. "You don't get it, do you Clay?," he jeered. "Give it a moment. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Chris recovered from his dazed state and refocused on the situation at hand. "Wh-what just happened?"

"Well, Chris, why don't you take a look for yourself?," Chase suggested with a slight moiton to Matt.

"Matt! Matt!," I yelled as I shook him. He didn't seem to want to budge, as if he was frozen to the ground. "What in tarnation's wrong with you?"

Chris started to get worried to. "Clay, what happened?"

My answer was cut off as Matt rose to his feet. His bangs hid his face in a mask of shadow that prevailed even in this sunlight. Then I saw it.

"No," I whispered. "No, not this. Son of a bitch! NO!" I grabbed his belt and pulled him closer to glare into his face as if I could find a way to would undo what had been done.

Chase knew I finally understood and he laughed as if it were all some hilarious joke to him. Chris turned at me worriedly and from the look on his face, I could tell that I'd gone pale.

Matt looked up to me with blood-shot eyes and smirked a malevolent smile. "Yes." Those eyes weren't the same chocolate brown I remembered. Somehow, the irises had turned a deep crimson, and his pupils were now dilated all the way, giving his face an almost feral look.

My heart beat faster like a crazy metronome as he lifted his hand up to me. The adrenaline had hit my nerves so hard that I couldn't even bear to stand still, yet the look on Matt's face froze me there like a statue. He circled around me and with his open palm, he sent a powerful jolt of electricity into my back, knocking Chris and me at least twenty feet through the air. All I felt his belt still in my hand, and I looked to see the white yo-yo still hooked onto it.

"Maybe you should consider using this next time," Chase smirked as he threw the corresponding black one over to the ground in front of where I lay in a heap. I knew exactly what happened then. That moment he was wrestling with Matt, he never intended to hurt him. In fact, he just let him go because...

"NO!," I cried out as I saw Matt and Chase bound away. They were followed by a band of five warriors who appeared out of some hole in the ground.

As my eyes closed, I felt the cuts and bruises sing out in agony. The small burns on my back were nothing compared to pain of this loss.

Through all of it, the only sensation greater than the pain was the taste of blood and tears.

* * *

**I finished this just now, and I think I'm going to post it! I should probably check for spelling and whatnot, but I think it's good enough. **


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